Are the B-1s heavy bomber jets coming!?

The US bringing in two B-1 heavy bomber jets, a fleet of F-15E fighter jets and C-130 and C-17 transport aircraft for its April 10-21 joint Exercise Cope India 2023, in Kalaikunda, West Bengal, has some experts believe that it is attempting to court India by promoting its military equipment as a substitute for Russian defence products and, thereby, become New Delhi’s foremost defence ally….

The Indian Air Force (IAF) values the need to acquire a cruise missile carrier urgently. Relying on a few Su-30MKIs, which can carry just a single BrahMos each, is not enough, military analyst Vijainder K Thakur said.

The US Air Force (USAF) Global Strike Command has retired 17 B-1 bombers from its fleet of 62. The remaining 45 will serve until the new B-21 stealth bomber arrives. Some of the retired B-1Bs require repairs. A USAF official says, ‘It would have taken $10-30 million per aircraft to get back to a status quo fleet in the short term until the B-21 comes online.’

Simply put, the IAF could lease or acquire a squadron of B-1B bombers and cruise missiles to go with them for around $1 billion! Purely to boost its strike power to a level where it can deter Chinese aggressiveness, a B-1B bomber squadron would be the most cost-effective, powerful option available to India.

From ‘B-1 Bombers: India Ready With All ‘Pacts & Papers’ To Acquire US Bombers; Will It Become 1st Country To Get One?’, The EurAsian Times