US Air Force to extend service of B-1, B-2 bombers, official says

Two of the U.S. Air Force’s bomber aircraft will be extended in an effort to better maintain the fleet’s readiness, a service official said Wednesday.

The decision to extend the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit comes amid moves by the force to further develop the B-21 Raider, the service’s next-generation stealth bomber with accelerated production.

Both the bombers will be extended, Gen. Stephen L. Davis, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, said during a panel titled “Flying and Fixing to Fight and Win” at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference .

The commander said that the experienced pilots from the bombers will be some of the first B-21 pilots.

The Raiders are on track for a 2027 delivery to Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. The service aims to replace the aging B-1 and B-2 fleets in the coming decades with at least 100 B-21s.

Davis highlighted the Air Force’s Bomber Supplemental Trainer for Aircrew Readiness, or BSTAR , program, which is meant to address gaps and flight-hour readiness for B-1 pilots. In the program, XSTAR Aviation provides the force with HondaJet Elite light business jets.

“We’re bringing in a HondaJet to actually help experience some pilots, and also as some of these airframes have issues with readiness, it gives those pilots a chance to fly and get them time in the seat, which we know is very important,” Davis said during the panel.

The commander didn’t say how long the bombers’ service lives would be extended for, but the service intends to modernize and invest in the B-1 and B-2s in the coming years despite both aircraft being slated for retirement in the next decade.

Recently, the service launched an operation readiness campaign, dubbed the North Star Readiness Campaign , to increase the number of mission-capable B-52 Stratofortress and B-1s by accelerating the delivery of parts, engineering support and depot maintenance.

During the campaign’s announcement, the force said that while the B-22 and B-1 are being upgraded to continue service, the B-2 will be maintained for combat effectiveness until the B-21 is fully operational.

Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.

一名空军官员周三表示，美国空军将延长两架轰炸机的机身，以更好地保持机队的战备状态。

在空军加快生产下一代隐形轰炸机 B-21“突袭者”的同时，空军也决定延长 B-1“枪骑兵”和 B-2“幽灵”的服役期限。

空军全球打击司令部司令史蒂芬·L·戴维斯将军在空军与太空部队协会 2026 年航空、航天与网络会议上题为“飞行与修复以赢得战斗和胜利”的小组讨论中表示，这两架轰炸机都将进行加长。

指挥官表示，这些来自轰炸机的经验丰富的飞行员将成为首批 B-21 飞行员。

“突袭者”轰炸机预计将于2027年交付给南达科他州埃尔斯沃思空军基地。美国空军计划在未来几十年内用至少100架B-21轰炸机替换老旧的B-1和B-2机队。

戴维斯重点介绍了空军的轰炸机机组人员战备补充训练器（BSTAR）项目，该项目旨在弥补B-1飞行员在飞行小时数和战备方面的不足。在该项目中，XSTAR航空公司为空军提供本田Jet Elite轻型公务机。

戴维斯在小组讨论中说：“我们引进一架本田喷气机，实际上是为了帮助一些飞行员积累经验，而且由于这些飞机的某些机身存在准备就绪方面的问题，这给了这些飞行员​​一个飞行机会，让他们获得飞行时间，我们知道这非常重要。”

指挥官没有说明轰炸机的服役寿命将延长多久，但尽管B-1和B-2轰炸机都计划在未来十年内退役，空军仍打算在未来几年对这两种飞机进行现代化改造和投资。

最近，美国空军启动了一项名为“北极星战备行动”的作战准备行动，旨在通过加快零部件、工程支持和基地维护的交付，增加具备作战能力的 B-52 同温层堡垒轰炸机和 B-1 轰炸机的数量。

在宣布此次行动时，空军表示，虽然 B-22 和 B-1 正在升级以继续服役，但 B-2 仍将保持战斗力，直到 B-21 完全投入使用。

克里斯蒂娜·斯塔西斯是一位记者，主要报道国防工业、国家安全、军事/退伍军人事务等领域的新闻。她曾于2024年在《防务新闻》担任编辑助理，协助Sightline媒体集团旗下新闻编辑室处理突发新闻。