I blame the press. Everyone knows you should never, never say how well everything is going:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedi...es%2Dfrontpage
ps. I seem to recall that the B1/B52 loss rate is running at approximately 200% the rate required to to get through to the planned bomber replacement date of 2038.
If the future really is out of area at these types of ranges maybe the US ought to really think about reopening the B2 line and everyone start thinking about AAR fleets. (including the USN, the RAF fleet may not be there much longer to help them out).
[ 13 December 2001: Message edited by: ORAC ]