January 9, 2022
Why the B-21 Raider Could Be Armed With Air-to-Air Missiles
There is some precedent for a bomber aircraft with a secondary air-to-air mission.
by David Axe Follow @daxe on Twitter L
Here's What You Need to Remember: The A-12 was designed to carry two AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles in addition to air-to-ground weaponry. But the U.S. Defense Department canceled the A-12 in 1991.
The U.S. Air Force’s new B-21 Raider stealth bomber could fly as early as 2021. And at least one Air Force general believes the new Northrop Grumman-made bomber could gain air-to-air capabilities in order to help it fight its way to its target.
There is some precedent for a bomber aircraft with a secondary air-to-air mission. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the U.S. Navy paid General Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas billions of dollars to develop the A-12 Avenger II, a stealthy, carrier-launched medium bomber that was supposed to replace the Navy’s A-6 Intruders.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/why-b-21-raider-could-be-armed-air-air-missiles-199184
