Air Force rolls out "North Star" effort to boost bomber readiness

The U.S. Air Force announced the North Star Readiness Campaign, a coordinated effort to enhance the availability of its strategic bombers, the B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress. The initiative unites operators from Global Strike Command, sustainment experts from Air Force Materiel Command, and logistics partners at the Defense Logistics Agency to streamline the supply chain, engineering support, and depot maintenance.

By consolidating these functions, the Air Force aims to reduce parts-shipment timelines from up to a week to as little as two or three days, thereby increasing the fleet’s mission-capable numbers. Current data show B-52s are mission-capable 53.7% of the time, while B-1s lag at 43.4%, with the B-52 meeting its readiness goal in only four of the past eleven years. The campaign reflects a broader shift as older bombers are slated for retirement and will eventually be replaced by the upcoming B-21 Raider.

General S.L. Davis emphasized the effort as a commitment to keep the bomber force ready for rapid deployment.