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DATE: February 9, 2026 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am ET

Allowing adversaries to operate from operational sanctuaries is a losing proposition. A war-winning strategy for the U.S. military must involve applying long-range penetrating airpower to hold targets at risk – anytime, anywhere. This includes an adversary’s ability to launch air and missile salvos that could cripple U.S. operations.

However, decades of force cuts and deferred modernization have reduced the Air Force’s combat capacity to the point where it cannot simultaneously deter nuclear attacks, defend the U.S. homeland, and defeat adversary aggression at acceptable levels of risk.

New, long-range stealthy bombers and fighters that can deny sanctuaries to adversary forces wherever they are located are required at scale. A less-capable force cannot achieve peace through strength or win should deterrence fail. This is a strategic choice for the nation, not just the Air Force.

The authors examine this topic and solutions with guest, Gen. Tim Ray, USAF (Ret.), former Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command.

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Speakers

Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula USAF (Ret.)Dean, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Mark GunzingerDirector of Future Concepts and Capability Assessments, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Heather PenneyDirector of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Gen Tim Ray USAF (Ret.)Former Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command

Media Coverage

• New Report: Air Force Needs 200 B-21s, 300 F-47s to Deny Enemy ‘Sanctuaries’
  Air & Space Forces Magazine
• Air Force needs at least 300 F-47s to ensure future air superiority, report says
  Inside Defense
• Logistics piece of Air Force’s combat plan a work in progress, undersecretary says
  Stars & Stripes
• Beyond the Missile: A Cost-Per-Effect Blueprint for the Future Force
  War on the Rocks
• B-21, F-47 Fighter Fleet “Not Enough”! New Report Suggest How USAF Can Deny “Sanctuaries” To China
  The EurAsian Times
• To Counter China, the U.S. Air Force Would Require 200 B-21 Stealth Bombers and 300 F-47 Fighters
  Zona Militar
• US Air Force needs 500 next-gen fighters, bombers to beat China, think tank says
  Defense News
• US may need 500 next-gen fighters and bombers to counter China: Report
  Interesting Engineering
• US Air Force think tank advocates doubling B-21 bomber fleet to 200 aircraft to counter potential Chinese mainland sanctuary threat
  Flight Global
• U.S. Air Force Needs Hundreds More Advanced Jets to Deter China, Report Warns
  Tip Ranks
• Too Small to Win? Former F-16 Pilot Sounds Alarm on Air Force Shortfalls
  Clearance Jobs
• US Air Force Must Build 500 Stealth Fighters and Bombers to Outmatch China
  Aero-News Journal