Sat, 05/06/2023 - 10:26am
Raider Without a Cause: Why is America Buying the B-21?
By Tom Ordeman, Jr.
Un-Asked, Un-Answered
In 2014, the U.S. Air Force began development of the B-21 Raider, its next generation stealth bomber. However, despite having socialized a set of requirements, identified a vendor, and set a per-unit price that will inevitably skyrocket, any serious discussion of whether a need for this platform actually exists has taken place - pun intended - largely under the radar.
In fact, for many of the same reasons that have led some scholars to argue the controversial position that the Air Force should be amalgamated back into the other services, serious doubts underscore the alleged requirement for a new fleet of heavy bombers. Instead, the United States can - and should - assume minimal risk by letting this platform hibernate with the projected retirement of B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit, and long-term sustainment of the B-52 Stratofortress fleet; and channel the projected $113 billion price tag into versatile solutions that are more appropriate to modern conditions.
A Brief History of Heavy Bombing
Heavy bombing developed during the interwar period. Improvements in aircraft capabilities, paired with conjectural doctrine from the likes of Giulio Douhet and Billy Mitchell, led designers to load ever larger payloads aboard ever more capable aircraft. The "massive bombardment" concept suggested that, in addition to demolishing military targets, heavy bombing of an enemy's industrial base would cripple their capacity to wage war while simultaneously eroding public support for the enemy's war effort. However, sustained and costly bombing campaigns failed to produce such results in Germany or Imperial Japan.
https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/raider-without-cause-why-america-buying-b-21
