> because the stakes are actually lower. I'd actually disagree there. The stakes for military aircraft are higher - assume Russia or China sends a nuclear bomb

> because the stakes are actually lower. I'd actually disagree there. The stakes for military aircraft are higher - assume Russia or China sends a nuclear bomb equipped squad on their merry way to Alaska. If even one of the US planes has an issue taking it out of the fight, the Russian bomber squad may succeed, dropping a nuke and killing tens of thousands of people.