The B-21 Cannot Go It Alone
Published 12/03/23 07:00 AM ET
Bryan Clark
The B-21 Raider’s first flight last month was a noteworthy milestone for U.S. airpower and a signal of the Pentagon’s commitment to conventional and nuclear deterrence. But warfare changed during the past 20 years as the B-21 moved from idea to reality. Uncrewed systems, electromagnetic warfare, artificial intelligence, and commercial satellite capabilities have altered the battlefield. To remain relevant into the 2030s and beyond, the B-21 will need a capable team around it.
Stealth bombers are intended to deliver what the Air Force calls “affordable mass,” or the ability to use smaller, less-expensive weapons because the airplane delivering them can get close to the target. As the war in Ukraine suggests, sneaking up on a target is getting harder as air defense radars improve and are augmented by space-based sensors like those being fielded by a host of commercial companies and a few governments.
The B-21 is built to hide from enemy radars, infrared detectors, or video cameras. The challenge will be doing so from every direction, and over the next several decades as more satellites and drones become part of enemy air defense networks. If B-21s have to launch from farther away, they will have to carry larger, more expensive, missiles that may need updated targeting data because they could be in flight for an hour or longer.
https://themessenger.com/opinion/b-21-raider-stealth-bomber-fighter-jets-drones-military-aircraft
