Air Force eyes three bases to house B-21s

By Rachel Cohen / May 3, 2018 at 10:17 AM

The Air Force this week announced a preliminary decision to house the B-21 Raider at three bomber bases starting in the mid-2020s, eventually replacing the B-1 and B-2 bombers at each location.

Dyess Air Force Base, TX, Ellsworth AFB, SD, and Whiteman AFB, MO, are the service's preferred bases to take on the next-generation bomber, although the final selection is still pending until 2019.

"Using the current bomber bases will minimize operational impact, reduce overhead, maximize reuse of facilities and minimize cost," the service said in a May 3 press release. "Although the first B-21 [is] expected in the mid-2020s, the Air Force doesn't plan to retire the existing bombers until there are sufficient B-21s to replace them. The Air Force hasn't determined which location will receive the aircraft first."

The future bomber fleet will include only the B-21 and B-52, which is based at Barksdale AFB, LA, and Minot AFB, ND. B-52s are expected to fly through 2050.

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