Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Long Range Bomber Sustainment Act of 2015”.
Long Range Bomber Sustainment Act of 2015
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Defense to make certain certifications to Congress before retiring B–1, B–2, or B–52 bomber aircraft.
Sec. 2 Limitations on retirement of B–1, B–2, and B–52 bomber aircraft
No B–1, B–2, or B–52 bomber aircraft may be retired during a fiscal year unless the Secretary of Defense certifies, by not later than March 1 of the preceding fiscal year, that—
the retirement of the aircraft will not detrimentally affect the capacity of the Armed Forces of the United States to carry out the full range of long range bomber aircraft missions anticipated in operational plans of the Armed Forces in effect as of the date of the submission of that certification;
the Secretary has completed assessments of—
planning scenarios that span the range of plausible future challenges for such aircraft; and
the severity, likelihood, and imminence of risk associated with each such planning scenario;
the Secretary has concluded, based on the assessments referred to in paragraph (2), that retirements of B–1, B–2, and B–52 bomber aircraft in the near term will not detrimentally affect operational capability; and
the Secretary has developed a plan to replace any operational capability lost as a result of the retirement of such bomber aircraft.