Air Force campaign aims to put more bombers in the sky

The Air Force recently announced the “North Star Readiness Campaign,” aimed at increasing the number of mission-ready strategic bombers.

The service hopes to solve logistical issues that have plagued the upkeep of its aging fleet of B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer bombers by ensuring a streamlined parts pipeline, as well as upgrading the bombers to last until the 2050s.

Air Force Global Strike Command has partnered with the Air Force Materiel Command and the Defense Logistics Agency to hold regular “aircraft-on-ground” meetings to identify any parts delays. The meetings have accelerated shipments from a week or more to as little as two to three days, the Air Force said in a Tuesday news release.

“The North Star Readiness Campaign is our commitment to ensuring the warfighter has the nation’s bomber force ready to go at a moment’s notice,” said Gen. S.L. Davis, commander of AFGSC.

Airmen, mechanics, DLA representatives and supply chain members are working together to identify any issues that could delay maintenance.

“For example, our Airmen built a localized playbook to optimize the phase maintenance process which drastically reduced maintenance timelines while strictly maintaining safety and security. They are the ones with the hands-on experience, and we would be remiss if we didn’t leverage their expertise to drive these improvements,” said Chief Master Sgt. Shane Anderson, the NSRC change management lead.

Senior Airman Erika Herrera closes a panel on the engine of a B-52H Stratofortress during an exercise at Beale Air Force Base, California, Aug. 9, 2024. (Cody Burt/U.S. Air Force)

Airmen perform maintenance on a B-52H Stratofortress at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, March 6, 2025. (Kyle Wilson/U.S. Air Force)

The Air Force said that the efforts have already produced results. Since the campaign was implemented, the number of mission-impacting part problems has decreased from more than 450 to around 160.

The Air Force currently operates 76 B-52s, according to the service’s website.

The first modified version of the B-52 resulted in a fatal crash at Edwards Air Force Base in California that killed eight people in June. The Air Force said that the modernization efforts would continue while the crash is investigated.

In August, the Government Accountability Office released a report warning that the Air Force’s plan to modernize its B-52 bombers with replacement engines before completing critical portions of developmental flight testing could lead to higher costs and project delays.

The service is projected to spend $21 billion to modernize the engines, radar, weapons systems and communications, according to the report.