Overview
- The paper calls for at least 200 B-21 bombers and 300 F-47 sixth‑generation fighters, roughly double the Air Force’s stated plans for 100 B-21s and 185 F-47s.
- Authors argue standoff weapons cannot reliably destroy hardened, deeply buried targets deep inside mainland China, citing June 2025 B-2 strikes in Iran as operational precedent.
- Insufficient stealth inventories would reduce sortie capacity and push the Air Force toward less aggressive tactics, a shift the report warns could favor the PLA.
- Program timelines remain a constraint, with the B-21 in low‑rate initial production and the F-47 still early in development, leaving limited near‑term availability.
- Recommendations include retaining legacy bombers and increasing buys of F-35s, F-15EXs, and uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft, funded by about $40 billion more per year.