Airframe: A B-1 Lancer from Dyess AFB, Texas, a B-2 Spirit from Whiteman AFB, Mo., and a B-52 Stratofortress from Minot AFB, N.D., rehearse formations moments before performing a bomber trio in-trail flyover at Barksdale AFB, La., Feb. 2, 2017. The all-bomber flyover took place to commemorate the Eighth Air Force’s 75th Anniversary. Eighth Air Force, also known as “The Mighty Eighth,” which dates back to World War II, houses all of the Air Force’s nuclear-capable and conventional bomber fleet. The Eighth Air Force, which is in charge of nuclear and conventional bombers and is made up of five bomb wings at different locations, is one of two Active Duty numbered air forces with the Air Force Global Strike Command. The numbered air force traces its lineage to the VIII Bomber Command, which was activated on Feb. 1, 1942, at Langley Field, Va. VIII Bomber Command was re-designated as Eighth Air Force on Feb. 22, 1944. (Air Force photo courtesy of Sagar Pathak.) (Click on image above to reach wallpaper version.)
A new think tank report calls for a buildup of U.S. drones and munitions needed for a potential fight against the Chinese military over Taiwan, thought other experts argue the report is missing some nuance in the munitions equation.
