Finding Balance for Dual-Role Bombers

The purpose of this paper is to identify some concepts that nuclear enterprise leaders might choose to use in achieving balance for dual-role strategic bombers. Dual-role bombers face a unique demand of having to maintain a high state of readiness in both the nuclear and conventional missions. In order to identify some useful concepts, this study reviews three erasthe Vietnam conflict, the time between Vietnam and through the Persian Gulf War, and the contemporary time periodin order to discover some methods used by leaders in the past to achieve balance amongst competing requirements. From 1965 to 1972, B-52 leaders utilized in-theater training to prepare bomber crews for combat. These crews developed and distributed lessons learned, which Strategic Air Command (SAC) incorporated into a specially designed Remote Training Unit created to prepare crews for combat in Southeast Asia. The nuclear mission suffered as resources were siphoned off to support the conflict in Vietnam, but Strategic Air Command was able to replenish some bases with necessary personnel once they were made aware of the difficult demands facing bomber leaders. Fortunately, there was direct transfer between nuclear and conventional weapon skill-sets. Following Vietnam, the B-52 force acquired additional weapons and missions and achieved balance through the flexible use of training processes. Wing commanders were given the flexibility to tailor training in order to meet critical mission requirements. Unfortunately, despite carrying a conventional mission, not all bombers trained equally to this task, leading to varying levels of success in the Persian Gulf War. Bomber leaders utilized routine unit training, pre-deployment training, and in-theater training to prepare B-52 crews for combat. After the war, SAC was replaced by a new command and a new focus for the expected future use of bombers.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.