Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bombers still form the basis of long-range aviation of the US Air Force. For several decades, these aircraft have retained their role as one of the main components of the strategic nuclear forces. In recent days, several new reports have appeared in the foreign press regarding the further operation of such equipment and plans for its use in the strategic deterrence system.
Bombers will return to 24/7 readiness
On October 22, Defense One published an article "EXCLUSIVE: US Preparing to Put Nuclear Bombers Back on 24-Hour Alert" by Markus Weisgerber. As noted in the subheading, the planned B-52 aircraft vigilance methods have not been used by American aircraft since the Cold War.
According to Defense One, in the very near future, the US Air Force will return long-range bombers to combat duty with constant readiness to conduct hostilities. Thus, on long stretches near the ends of the runways, behind the markings nicknamed "Christmas trees", planes with special ammunition will reappear, ready to take off in the shortest possible time and go to their targets.
General David Goldfein, Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, told M. Weisgerber about plans to change the order of service for B-52 bombers. According to him, such plans are another measure to ensure that the army is ready for a possible war. The general does not consider the planned training of the Air Force in the context of specific armed conflicts, but the general deterioration of the international situation requires certain measures to be taken.
According to Defense One, D. Goldfein and a number of other military leaders argue that no order has yet been received to change the long-range aviation duty. However, several structures are already awaiting its appearance. The final decision must be made by the head of the Strategic Command, General John Hayten, and the head of the Northern Command, General Lori Robinson.
According to M. Weisberger, the planned transfer of aircraft to permanent readiness is only one of the responses to emerging challenges. The situation on the Korean Peninsula is deteriorating, Washington and Pyongyang exchange aggressive statements. Meanwhile, Russia is building up the potential of its armed forces.
Against the background of these events, D. Goldfein urged the command of the US armed forces to study new strategies, including the use of nuclear weapons in the field of deterrence. In addition, he does not exclude the possibility of using such weapons in a hypothetical conflict. He reminds: "The world is a dangerous place, and there are already people who are directly talking about the possible use of nuclear weapons." According to the general, now the world is not bipolar, and there are not only the USA and the USSR. There are several other nuclear powers that place special demands on the US military.
As part of his recent speech, D. Goldfein pointed out that pilots need to get rid of the stamps of the Cold War, in which a special role was assigned to intercontinental missiles, nuclear bombers and cruise missiles. He invited the Air Force Global Strikes Command to consider several critical issues. It is necessary to establish what a conventional conflict with the limited use of nuclear weapons will look like? How should the United States respond to such events? How can events unfold? Finally, how should containment be carried out in such an environment?
D. Goldfein was asked about the prospects of B-52 aircraft in the context of deterrence. Will they be able to solve the problem in the same way as it was several decades ago? The general could not answer unequivocally. In his opinion, the results of the implementation of new plans depend on how exactly the bombers will be used, and, in addition, on the attention of the simulated adversary to the status of US aircraft.
M. Weisgerber notes that, despite the absence of an order to transfer the bombers to a new duty regime, some measures are already being taken to prepare for this. So, at the Barksdale airbase - one of the key strategic aviation facilities - the restoration of the required infrastructure has begun. Near the runway of this base is the so-called. Alert Center is a building with rooms for pilots where they can wait for an order to take off. Now this facility, actually abandoned in the past, is being renovated.
The rooms of the restored building will accommodate residential and utility rooms capable of providing watch for more than 100 pilots - in accordance with the capabilities of the airfield in the context of the simultaneous watch of aircraft. The pilots will have a recreation room with a TV, a billiard table, etc. On the main staircase of the building, the symbols of local squadrons will be suspended.
Along with the B-52H, other aircraft will also be on duty at the Christmas tree. According to M. Weisgerber, the air command posts E-4B Nightwatch and E-6B Mercury will be present on the runway from time to time. In the event of an armed conflict, they will become the jobs of the Minister of Defense and the head of the Strategic Command. One of the aircraft's tasks will be to issue orders to units of the strategic nuclear forces.
No constant vigil, but the infrastructure is being updated
Defense One's article naturally attracted attention. In addition, it became the reason for the appearance of clarifying articles. So, the day after its publication, Breaking Defense published a publication authored by Colin Clarke entitled "No Nuke Bombers On Call 24/7, But Alert Centers Being Upgraded" … As is clear from its name, the previous material from M. Weisgerber did not fully correspond to the real state of affairs.
At the beginning of his article, K. Clark recalled the essence of the previous publication in Defense One. After reading the information from Markus Weisgerber, the author of the Breaking Defense publication decided to clarify it, and sent several questions to the US Strategic Command. This structure determines the methods of deploying nuclear weapons, and it is it, and not the Air Force headquarters, that should decide on placing bombers on duty of one kind or another.
According to Captain Brook DeWalt, spokesman for the head of the Strategic Command, General J. Hayten, who replied to Clarke, the issue of changing the status of combat readiness of B-52 aircraft is not currently being considered.
A representative of the Strategic Command noted that there are currently no plans to put the aircraft on permanent duty. The issue of such a deployment of technology is also not being considered now. At the same time, Captain DeWalt recalled that such issues are within the competence of the US Strategic Command and it is it that should resolve them.
Despite the lack of plans for round-the-clock combat duty of bombers, the command continues to train personnel. The necessary trainings are carried out and the necessary equipment is supplied. All this is necessary to ensure combat readiness that meets the requirements of strategic deterrence in the 21st century.
Such a response from the official representative of the Strategic Command does not quite agree with the comments of D. Goldfein. However, according to K. Clarke, the statements of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force may indicate that this structure is nevertheless preparing to receive the corresponding order.
In an interview with Defense One, General D. Goldfein said that placing aircraft on constant alert is another step in ensuring the readiness of the air force. In addition, he noted that such plans are not associated with a specific potential enemy, but with the ongoing change in the strategic situation in the world. Thus, the order to transfer the aircraft to a state of combat readiness has not yet been received, but the prerequisites for its appearance already exist.
However, the only commander authorized to approve such plans, according to his official representative, does not plan to sign a new order. In other words, the information about the imminent transfer of bombers to 24-hour readiness at the moment does not correspond to reality.
The author of Breaking Defense believes that initially the history of the B-52 on duty contained some hints of the possibility of changing the strategy or the desire of the air force to influence its development. However, in reality, everything turned out to be different. To one fact was added another, and the result was less interesting than it seemed from the very beginning. The same applies to the Barksdale Base facilities currently undergoing renovations and upgrades.
K. Clarke reminds us that one of the buildings is being renovated at this base. However, the Alert Center is not being updated in order to ensure round-the-clock duty of strategic aviation pilots. This facility is used by the crews of various aircraft from various structures of the Pentagon. Due to the gradual wear and tear, the infrastructure needs to be repaired.
The renovation of the Barksdale building, accompanied by the installation of new equipment, began in August last year. In accordance with the existing contract worth 3.5 million dollars, the contractor will have to restore various internal systems of the facility. The second contract, worth 136 thousand dollars, concluded by the Strategic Command, stipulates the procurement of funds for the comfortable rest of the pilots, and also affects the exterior decoration of the building.
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As you can see, a rather interesting situation is observed in the field of strategic aviation of the United States. The head of one Pentagon structure speaks of the imminent restructuring of the aircraft watch system, the purpose of which is to ensure the possibility of takeoff at any time of the day with a full ammunition load. Shortly thereafter, a representative of another structure responsible for the combat use of long-range bombers pointed out the absence of such plans and the reluctance of the Strategic Command to change the existing system.
This situation looks very strange, since it demonstrates some difficulties in the interaction of the two most important organizations involved in ensuring strategic security. These or those problems are always present in the joint work of large structures, but in this case they can be a serious cause for concern, and not only for the Pentagon.
Despite all the problems of the American military department, recent publications in the foreign press can also be a reason for optimism. Markus Weisgerber's article "EXCLUSIVE: US Preparing to Put Nuclear Bombers Back on 24-Hour Alert" immediately attracted the attention of experts from different countries and caused concern. One could hardly imagine a different reaction to the plans to return round-the-clock uninterrupted duty of strategic bombers. However, the very next day it became known that General David Golfein announced not the most accurate information. As it turned out, the Strategic Command has no such plans. As for the repair of one of the objects of the Barksdale base, mentioned by M. Weisgerber, it is carried out according to a planned procedure and has nothing to do with the duty of the B-52H aircraft. Constant combat duty of bombers, however, is not expected.
Still, there are certain reasons for concern. As General D. Golfein rightly noted, the situation in the world is changing and the United States has to react to it. How exactly Washington and the Pentagon intend to respond to changes in the strategic environment, and how such a response will affect it, is not yet fully clear. At the same time, we can confidently predict a certain deterioration of the situation in some regions.
