Engines hot: 110th EBS Airmen complete hot pits on B-2 Spirit during BTF

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 110th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron conduct hot pit refueling on a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber during a Bomber Task Force mission at Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, Aug. 21, 2024. Bomber missions enhance the U.S. Air Force’s readiness to respond to any potential crisis or challenge in the Indo-Pacific through joint and multilateral operations. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Whitney Erhart)

Impact of Dynamic Force Employment on Indo-Pacific Bomber Deterrence

Published April 30, 2026
By AF/A10P & AF/A3K Checkmate

TOPIC SPONSOR: AF/A10P & AF/A3K Checkmate

How can the U.S. optimize deterrence and assurance within the Bomber Task Force (BTF)/Dynamic Force Employment (DFE) construct? Shifting from Continuous Bomber Presence (CBP), how can the U.S. increase its deterrence advantage vis-a-vis China and Russia?

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Cornett, Lt. Col. John W., "Bomber Task Force to India: A New Deterrent Look," Air Force Fellows paper (Stimson Center), 2021, 32 pgs.
Heath, Maj. Matthew T., "Fight Tonight: Conventional Deterrence through the Bomber Task Force," AFGC thesis, 2024, 33 pgs.
Heistuman, Tom J., "Dusting off the Defensive Playbook: Analyzing Cold War Defensive Strategies for Modern Threat Environments," SAASS thesis, 2024, 116 pgs.
- Heistuman answers this by focusing on the unique challenges of protecting high-value, irreplaceable strategic bombers in the Indo-Pacific. He points out that simply pulling bombers back to the Continental US (CONUS) to keep them safe degrades power projection, taxes air refueling capabilities, and gives China more time to track incoming threats. To optimize forward bomber deterrence, Heistuman recommends augmenting physical base defenses with the political strategy of escalation control. By establishing clear "red lines" and communicating the willingness to launch a disproportionate, escalatory response if US or partner infrastructure is attacked, the US can create a coercive defense that deters China from striking forward-deployed bombers.
Henry, Maj. Joshua, "Containing the Dragon: Maximizing Extended Deterrence Capacity in the Indo-Pacific," GCPME, 2024, 49 pgs.
Raymond, Lt. Col. William D., "Bomber in a BOCS: Is It Worth It?" AF Global College thesis, 2024, 36 pgs.
Smith, Major Michael D., "Dynamic Force Employment in the Indo-Pacific: Making a Case for Air Force Special Tactics," Air Force Fellows paper, 2021, 69 pgs.