Article Abstract: The U.S. Air Pressure is contemplating increasing its B-21 Raider fleet from 100 to 250 bombers to handle rising threats from China and Russia.
Level #1 – The B-21 will introduce next-generation stealth, drone management capabilities, and superior sensor fusion to function as each an assault plane and a command-and-control node. With adversaries creating long-range stealth bombers and superior air protection methods, the U.S. should modernize its getting older bomber fleet.
Level #2 – Whereas upgrades to the B-2 and B-52 have prolonged their service life, a bigger B-21 fleet is seen as important to sustaining air superiority and strategic deterrence in future conflicts.
From 100 to 250? The Air Pressure’s Huge Plans for the B-21 Raider
It makes strategic sense that america Air Pressure would once more be considering a large improve in its deliberate fleet of B-21 stealth bombers, given the general state of its bomber drive and the necessity to deploy a big sufficient fleet to counter a great-power adversary in a large-scale confrontation.
100-to-250 B-21s
The present Air Pressure plan has been to construct 100 B-21s, but there may be now discussions within the press and different key circles of greater than doubling the fleet measurement to 250 or extra.
The explanations for this are multi-faceted as they pertain to the diminishing measurement and situation of the Air Pressure bomber fleet and the seriousness of fast-evolving threats.
China is fast-tracking its H-20 B-21 look alike, and Russia is creating its PAK 50 stealth bomber; the H-20 is reportedly able to flying extremely long-range missions, in line with a number of revealed Pentagon studies.
The operational scope of B-21s is important in gentle of fixing threats, as it is going to convey a completely new sphere of technological assault capability.
For example, B-21s will function with the flexibility to manage drones, sense risk areas, course of sensor knowledge from in any other case disparate swimming pools or sources of knowledge, and transmit as wanted throughout a multi-domain drive.
The B-21 also can fly crewless missions and function as a stealth “assault” platform and a multi-mode sensor “node” or aerial communication hub throughout a joint, multi-domain drive.
B-21 Raider as “Sensor”
In December of 2023, when the B-21 was formally unveiled, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers cited the vastly elevated mission capabilities the B-21 will convey, because it not solely introduces a brand new technology of stealth know-how but in addition operates as a flying “sensor” or “command and management” node throughout a multi-domain fight theater.
The arrival of B-21s is taken into account essential and mandatory in gentle of well-documented enhancements inside enemy air protection methods.
For instance, Russia’s TASS information company has claimed that enhancements to its S-400 and S-500 surface-to-air-missiles can detect and destroy “stealth” plane. Whereas this has not been verified, and establishing a radar “lock” or goal monitor on a stealth plane is extraordinarily tough, the Pentagon and Air Pressure weapons builders are acutely conscious that the risk circumstances are altering.
Years in the past, a senior US Air Pressure official instructed Warrior Maven that stealth was merely “one arrow within the quiver” when leveraging essential applied sciences for bombers and fighters in a contemporary risk surroundings.
B-2 Bomber Upgrades
Though the service’s B-2 has been efficiently upgraded with considerably unanticipated ranges of success, and the B-52 is actually a completely new plane in comparison with its inception many years in the past, there’s a widespread realization that the Air Pressure requires new stealth, sensing, and high-altitude bombing applied sciences.
B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber. Picture Credit score: Trade Handout.
B-2s, as an illustration, are actually geared up with a brand new sensor known as the Defensive Administration System, a sophisticated know-how designed to establish enemy air defenses to allow the plane to elude them. The B-2 Spirit has additionally acquired a 1,000-fold quicker pc processor and extra weapons, computing, and fire-control upgrades.
Bomber Deficit
Nevertheless, regardless of these B-2 enhancements, there may be probably nonetheless a regarding risk equation, and, of even higher significance, there may be solely a fleet of 20 B-2s. B-2s and B1-B Lancers have been upgraded for long-term sustainment, but they’ll begin retiring.
The service has struggled to handle the dimensions, composition, and readiness challenges it has been confronted with in current many years. Present bombers usually are not solely approaching obsolescence however might must retire as impactful numbers of B-21s arrive.
Proven is a B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic. The rendering highlights the longer term stealth bomber with Edwards Air Pressure Base, Calif., because the backdrop. Designed to carry out lengthy vary standard and nuclear missions and to function in tomorrow’s excessive finish risk surroundings, the B-21 might be a visual and versatile element of the nuclear triad. (U.S. Air Pressure graphic). That is the third USAF rendering of the B-21 Raider. Notice adjustments within the windshield from earlier official renderings.
Concerning the Writer: Kris Osborn
Kris Osborn is the Navy Know-how Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Heart for Navy Modernization. Osborn beforehand served on the Pentagon as a extremely certified skilled within the Workplace of the Assistant Secretary of the Military—Acquisition, Logistics & Know-how. Osborn has additionally labored as an anchor and on-air army specialist at nationwide TV networks. He has appeared as a visitor army skilled on Fox Information, MSNBC, The Navy Channel, and The Historical past Channel. He additionally has a Masters Diploma in Comparative Literature from Columbia College.
