A-10 Thunderbolt IIs taxi to a parking spot on the flight line at Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal, Oct. 9, 2014. The jets flew in as part of a coronet, which is the term the Air Force uses to describe the movement of jets coming in, refueling, and departing the island. (Air Force photo by SSgt. Zachary Wolf.) (Click on image above to reach wallpaper version.)
The Air Force is about to start considering what may one day replace the venerable B-52 Stratofortress, and take a first step towards imagining its bomber force in the long-term future. The service said in documents accompanying its fiscal 2027 budget proposal that it plans to start a “Heavy Bomber…