United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-01-10 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:NSIAD-94-81 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-81 P0b002ee18037c7e4 f:ns94081 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-81 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-81 NSIAD-94-81 Bomber aircraft Military operations Tactical air forces Defense contingency planning Air defense systems Combat readiness Aircraft engines Spare parts Military aircraft Advanced weapons systems B-1B Aircraft B-52 Aircraft Letter Report NSIAD Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has refocused its national security strategy from one of deterring the Soviet nuclear threat to one emphasizing conventional fighting capabilities. Air Force efforts to adapt B-1B strategic bombers, once the backbone of the U.S. nuclear force, for combat missions in conventional warfare have fallen short, however. Despite plans to modify 60 of 95 B-1B bombers, the Air Force has only 40 B-1Bs capable of flying conventional missions, a number that is not expected to increase significantly during the next decade. Further, although the Air Force requires 29 of its 65 spare B-1B engines to be serviceable at any given time to keep the planes in operation, only five were serviceable as of September 1993--an especially troubling situation given the susceptibility of the B-1B engines to ice damage. Structural cracks in the aircraft are also a continuing problem https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-81/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-81.htm GAO/NSIAD-94-81 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-94-81 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-94-81; Strategic Bomber: Issues Relating to the B-1B's Availability and Ability to Perform Conventional Missions; Bomber aircraft Military operations Tactical air forces Defense contingency planning Air defense systems Combat readiness Aircraft engines Spare parts Military aircraft Advanced weapons systems B-1B Aircraft B-52 Aircraft