Key Points – The B-21 Raider, the US Air Force’s upcoming sixth-generation strategic bomber, is currently undergoing active flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base.
-Designed by Northrop Grumman as a highly stealthy successor to the B-2 Spirit, the B-21 aims to penetrate contested airspace for conventional or nuclear strikes, including carrying the new, higher-yield B61-13 nuclear bomb.
-While the program is progressing, questions remain about the final fleet size (currently at least 100 planned) and managing costs, especially with recent manufacturing cost increases. The B-21 will eventually form a two-bomber force alongside upgraded B-52Js.
The B-21 Raider: The Air Force’s New Spine
Northrup Grumman, the storied aerospace firm behind the Cold War-era B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, has a successor to that platform in the works, one that the company says is the world’s first sixth-generation bomber: the B-21 Raider.
Named after the Doolittle Raid that saw Imperial Japan bombed following the Pearl Harbor attack, the B-21 shares some features with the B-2. For one, both bombers use a flying wing design, which, along with advanced radar-absorbent stealth coatings, reduces the plane’s radar cross-section significantly. Northrop designed it from the outset to remain aloft, untargeted, and untouched by opponents, even in highly contested aerial environments.
And thanks to the latest in nuclear weapons technology from the Department of Energy, the B-21 Raider will be one of the very few platforms capable of delivering the newest American nuclear bomb.
The Power of the Bomb
The B-21 Raider will, in the future, be one of two platforms certified to fly with the United States’ newest nuclear free-fall bomb. As a part of updating the American nuclear deterrent force, the Department of Energy recently assembled its newest B61 nuclear bomb.
“A mainstay of the air leg of the United States’ nuclear Triad, the B61 is the longest-serving and most versatile weapon in the U.S. nuclear stockpile. While the B61 family can be delivered by a broad range of fighter and bomber aircraft, the B61-13 will only be certified for delivery by strategic bomber aircraft and deployed from bases in the continental United States,” The United States Department of Energy explained in a press release covering the B61-13 production milestone.
“The B61-13 is one of seven ongoing warhead modernization programs NNSA is executing to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of the nuclear stockpile.” Though that new munition is based on its B61-12 predecessor, its nuclear yield is much higher — an important feature for tackling hardened, underground targets.
“The B61-13 modification involved the use of proven production capabilities that supported the B61-12, which completed its last production unit just five months ago,” the Department of Energy said, adding specific details about its intended target set. “The B61-13 incorporates the same modern safety, security, and accuracy features as the B61-12 but features a yield oriented to the defeat of certain harder and large-area military targets.”
Though the previous B61-11 was explicitly designed for use against deeply buried, hardened underground targets, this newest B61 is not necessarily a successor to the B61-11, which sports a tail-mounted rocket booster and strengthened nose section.
Edwards Air Force Base and the B-21 Raider
In a wide-ranging interview, Brigadier General Douglas P. Wickert, Commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, talked all things aviation, with some particular attention paid to the B-21 Raider bomber.
“The B-21 is in active flight test here at Edwards Air Force Base. In fact, this is the only place we’re going to see all four bombers flying. In fact, this is the only place in the world where you’re going to see all four bombers flying: the B-52, B-1, B-2, and now the B-21,” General Wickert explained. He added, “General Bussiere was just here a couple of months ago, he’s the four-star in charge of Air Force Global Strike Command, and when he stepped off the plane, I said, “Ah, Sir, you came to see all your bombers.” That was a great moment.”
Changes in the United States Air Force
Ultimately, America’s flying branch would like to downsize its bomber inventory from the diverse fleets of four different kinds of bombers.
“But looking ahead, we’re ultimately going to be a two-bomber Air Force. We’ll keep the B-52, the oldest one, and pair it with the B-21 Raider as our future fleet. The B-1 will be retired first, followed by the B-2 as B-21 capability comes online,” General Wickert said.
The United States will shortly operate both the Cold War-era B-52 and the modern B-21. Despite being nearly 70 years old, the B-52 has stayed relevant alongside the B-21 because of its very high range and payload capacity. Thanks to recent upgrades, B-52s can fly with four nuclear weapons, up from the two carried by the B-2 or B-21. The B-52’s strength is particularly potent when combined with long-range stand-off munitions — the combination would allow the B-52 to launch mass amounts of cruise missiles safely behind highly contested air fronts.
B-21 Raider: Still A Lot of Questions to Answer
One of the more pressing questions regarding the B-21 Raider platform is how many units the Pentagon decides to buy. Although the B-21’s acquisition numbers will almost assuredly be significantly larger than the B-2’s truncated procurement, the U.S. Air Force has demurred on just how many they will ultimately fly, the service must also balance these numbers against other programs, like the recently-announced F-47 fighter program.
Competition for Department of Defense dollars will be intense, and striking a balance between projects will no doubt be a challenge — but as the Pentagon retools and rearms with a particular eye on the Indo-Pacific, advanced platforms like the F-47 and the B-21 will become increasingly important.
One potential speed bump is rising B-21 Raider costs: thanks to increased manufacturing costs, Northrop Grumman recently logged a $400 million increase in costs.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
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