Key Points – The B-21 Raider is not made obsolete by the rise of combat drones, despite their demonstrated success in conflicts like Ukraine.
-While drones are effective, they cannot replace the critical, real-time decision-making, situational awareness, and adaptability of a human pilot executing the OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) loop in complex combat scenarios.
-The B-21 is also essential for its ISR-gathering capabilities and its role in the nuclear triad, a level of deterrence unmanned systems cannot yet provide.
-Furthermore, the B-21 is designed to leverage drone technology by acting as a “drone quarterback” for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs).
B-21 Raider in 4 Words: Obsolete Thanks to Drones?
The United States is accustomed to having its strategic bombers attack targets at any time and from anywhere. The name of the bomber game is global reach plus air dominance, and the Americans play it like no other country can.
During the Global War on Terror and Operation Desert Storm, bombers played a key role in penetrating deep into enemy air space and dropping their ordnance at will. However, these assumptions about air dominance are changing. The war in Ukraine has not only shown that it can destroy strategic bombers on the ground but that drones can replace some missions.
The US Air Force’s new B-21 Raider bomber is a next-generation ultra-stealth platform that will be able to avoid air defenses and drop conventional or nuclear weapons. But could it be obsolete before it joins the Air Force in numbers in the 2030s?
Manned Pilots Are Still Needed
Combat drone proponents would say yes, but I don’t believe that is the case. The US military still needs manned platforms that can bring violence to the enemy. A human pilot has the all-important touch and feel of the aircraft controls. They can make critical combat decisions in the blink of an eye. Human pilots are needed in complex scenarios or emergencies. Human-performed mental calculus about war and peace can be made in the cockpit if there is an order to attack that must be aborted at a moment’s notice.
What Is OODA?
Human autonomy is all-important while flying. There is nothing like having real eyes and ears in the skies. A human can also read the situation in the air better and conduct the OODA loop – Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act to perfection while flying the B-21.
“OODA is a four-step approach to decision-making that focuses on filtering available information, putting it in context and quickly making the most appropriate decision, while also understanding that changes can be made as more data becomes available,” according to TechTarget.com.
B-21s with human pilots can thus execute the OODA loop more effectively and efficiently than drones can. This leads to maximum situational awareness and survivability in the air.
B-21 Raider Bombers Can Gather Valuable ISR Data
One of the more critical missions of the B-21 that is under-reported is its ability to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. A human pilot can perform their own analysis in real time while this data collection is taking place. This means there is another “intelligence analyst” onboard. A human pilot can determine what should happen next with target selection and bomb damage assessment.
Omni-role Mission Parameters
The B-21 will then be able to re-adapt or re-configure the combat mission – whether that is launching standoff missiles or dropping nuclear weapons. This bomber is highly versatile, with the ability to toggle to different mission parameters in flight. It is an “omni-role” airplane.
No other bomber in existence can better deter foes than the B-21 when it receives operational status. It will be able to take off from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota and travel around the globe to menace US enemies. Adversarial nations will recognize that the Raider will be a vital component of the American nuclear triad. With its excellent radar-evading ability, the enemy will never know what hit them. A combat drone cannot have a level of deterrence.
Operation Spiderweb Shows Drone Prowess
The war in Ukraine has indeed shown that drones can be decisive. The intrepid Operation Spiderweb drone attack the Ukrainians carried out against 40 Russian strategic bombers this month showed just how far unmanned aerial vehicles have evolved in the last two decades. Ukraine did not need a stealth bomber like the B-21 to cause such significant damage.
It is also true that the B-21 is an expensive and complex aircraft – much more costly than a flight of drones. But the price tag is worth it.
I’m betting on the B-21. It will be worth the wait. If it is drones you prefer, the B-21 could serve as a “quarterback” or “mothership” for a flight of unmanned systems called Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). These drones can fly ahead of B-21s and perform electronic warfare duties, as well as identify new targets to destroy. One scenario would be for the CCA to discover enemy bombers out in the open that would be ripe for destruction – similar to Operation Spiderweb.
The B-21 then has the best of both worlds—manned and unmanned flight. You get the human touch on the controls that are desperately needed in next-generation warfare and the ability to conduct the OODA loop with a real person. Plus, the value-packed CCA can take many tasks away from the human B-21 pilot so they can fly better at the controls.
The B-21 is not obsolete. Drones have indeed changed warfare, but human pilots are still needed. The B-21 is also nuclear-capable, and no one is ready to strap a nuclear weapon to a drone just yet. Drone missions will continue to evolve, and the CCA is there to incorporate new uncrewed missions that haven’t even been pondered yet. But the level of human expertise the Air Force will have in manned-unmanned teaming with the B-21 is second to none. Don’t count the B-21 out just yet.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
More Fighters
Russia’s Su-57 Felon Stealth Fighter Failed
Pingback: China's New J-36 Stealth Fighter Summed Up in 4 Words - National Security Journal
Pingback: China's New J-35 Fighter Is 'Well Equipped to Neutralize Any Target' - National Security Journal