The U.S. Air Force launched an initiative to increase the number of mission-capable B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer aircraft by accelerating parts delivery, engineering support and depot maintenance.
The movement, dubbed the North Star Readiness Campaign, responds to the push to maintain the readiness and availability of the U.S. bomber force for global operations, according to a Tuesday release.
Air Force Global Strike Command launched the campaign alongside Air Force Materiel Command and the Defense Logistics Agency to bring together operators, acquisition and sustainment experts and logistics partners.
“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,” Gen. S.L. Davis, commander of AFGSC, said in the release.
“By modernizing these incredible platforms and ensuring our maintainers have the parts and support they need, we are sending a clear message to our adversaries and allies alike that the United States’ long-range penetrating strike capability is, and will remain, second to none,” Davis continued.
The collaboration between AFGSC, AFMC and supply partners, such as DLA, is meant to break down logistical barriers and streamline the channel for parts, engineering support and depot maintenance to increase the number of B-52 and B-1 aircraft in the air, per the release.
The partnership between the three teams can remove hurdles and speed up lateral shipments to arrive in two to three days. Previously, those deliveries would take a week or more.
“Strengthening the supply chain and engineering support means maintenance is faster and less complex,” Matt Miller, executive director of the Logistics and Engineering directorate, AFGSC, said in the release. “It ensures these critical aircraft remain a credible strategic asset for decades to come.”
The North Star Readiness Campaign intends to boost the B-1’s operational readiness through sustainment efforts that focus on expediting parts available for critical structural and avionics components, while collaborating with AFMC and DLA to accelerate depot-level maintenance cycles, the release reads.
Since the campaign began, the number of “mission-impacting part problems” dropped from more than 450 to around 160, allowing units to shift focus from immediate emergencies to backorders and emerging failure trends.
A range of ongoing and new modernization programs, managed through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and AFMC, is unified through the campaign.
The announcement acknowledged that while the B-52 and B-1 are being upgraded to stay in service for longer, the B-2 Spirit will be maintained for combat effectiveness until the B-21 Raider is fully operational.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.