The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies has recommended that the U.S. Air Force procure 180 new B-21 Raiders to counter advanced attacks from adversaries, National Defense Magazine reported Friday.
Retired Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, explained during a recent Air Force Association-hosted event that the service’s existing fleet of bombers is insufficient to meet defense requirements.
The organization noted in a new report that the Air Force should retain and modernize its existing B-1B and B-2 planes to increase the bomber inventory and maximize the remaining capabilities of their legacy fleet.
In addition, the report said the service should integrate its bombers in the future combat cloud for data gathering and processing purposes, and expand the payload capacity and range of planes to accommodate various missions.
The report also recommended that the Defense Department develop a new criteria for measuring system value on a standard cost per effect basis.