Northrop Grumman’s self-proclaimed sixth-generation B-21 Raider
is now in low-rate production and is expected to enter service in the coming years. The
program is remarkable for being on time and on budget
and is shaping up to be a successful program set to replace the United States Air Force’s
B-1 Lancer and, eventually, the B-2 Spirit strategic bombers. But could the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider
be used in the air superiority role?
The B-21 Raider is no ordinary strategic bomber
Alex Hollings from Sandboxx recently raised the intriguing question and discussed if the B-21 could be used as an air superiority fighter. So far, there is little indication from the Air Force that it is planning to use the strategic bomber in that role. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t or that it can’t be used in that way.
Photo: USAF
“With the U.S. Air Force now signaling increasing uncertainty regarding the fate and form of its new stealth fighter, and emerging technologies allowing for a broader capability set in larger platforms than ever before, the future of the air superiority mission may be facing its most dramatic shift since the advent of stealth,” Alex Hollings, Editor-in-Chief of Sandboxx News
As the world’s first sixth-generation combat aircraft (a label normally reserved for fighter jets), the B-21 is the polar opposite of the venerable B-52 Stratofortress. While the B-52 is a massive, lumbering delivery truck that will light up any radar like a Christmas tree, the B-21 is a sleek and stealthy ninja designed to penetrate enemy air defense unseen.
|
Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider: |
|
|---|---|
|
Number built: |
3 |
|
Number planned: |
Approx. 100 |
|
Role: |
Stealth strategic bomber |
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First flight: |
10 November 2023 |
|
Status: |
In flight testing |
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Capacity: |
20,000 lb (9,100 kg) weapon load |
But the B-21 is much more than a stealthy delivery truck; it is a flying supercomputer with a dizzying array of sensors that can communicate with various other American platforms.
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B-21 Raider to operate with loyal wingman drones
Critical to the discussion is that the B-21 Raider is being developed to operate alongside
the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) otherwise known as loyal wingmen drones
. These are rapidly developing, with the first prototypes already flying (General Atomics’ XQ-67A and Anduril’s Fury are currently two of the leading designs).
Photo: U.S. Air Force
Example loyal wingman drones/CCA in development:
- General Atomics XQ-67A
- Anduril Fury
- Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat
- Kratos XQ-58
- Airbus Wingman
- Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B
General Atomics says of its drone (believed to be selected as XQ-67A), “the Gambit 2 adds the provision for air-to-air weapons. The characteristic outer mold line means the aircraft has less endurance than its pure play reconnaissance sibling. But it more than makes up for that with a newfound ability to hold even advanced hostile aircraft at risk.”
“The CCA program aims to deliver at least 1,000 CCAs, prioritizing cost-effective scalability. With air superiority pivotal to America’s military dominance for more than 70 years, CCA offers expanded fighter capacity (affordable mass) at reduced costs and adaptable timelines.” – US Air Force
These CCAs are being developed as part of the larger NGAD sixth-generation fighter project and will likely continue to be developed whether or not the manned component of the NGAD project is eventually canceled. These loyal wingman drones are expected to also be paired with other US Air Force platforms like the F-35 fifth-generation fighter.
Photo: USAF
These AI-enabled drones are being designed to assist fighters in establishing air dominance. US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has described them as playing perhaps “100 roles.” These roles include being remotely controlled targeting pods, electronic warfare pods, and weapons carriers.
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Could the B-21 engage with its loyal wingman drones?
This raises the question: Could the B-21 Raider be used in the air superiority role as a command and control center with combat loyal wingman drones in tow? The B-21 is subsonic and is not likely to be nearly as nimble as a fighter jet, but in tomorrow’s air-to-air combat, that might not matter too much. The loyal wingman drones being developed are subsonic anyway. In fact,
fighter jets have been getting slower since the F-4 Phantom II
.
]As Alex Hollings notes, “This role [air superiority] once reserved for only the most aerobatically maneuverable and powerful tactical aircraft, could soon be absorbed by larger and undoubtedly more sluggish platforms that rely on superior stealth, long-range sensors, and advanced new weapons to dominate the skies. Platforms like the B-21 Raider.”
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Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) |
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|---|---|
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Includes: |
“family of systems” – manned fighter & CCA |
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Number planned: |
Approx. 200 manned fighters & 1,000 CCAs |
|
Status: |
Manned fighter in development, prototype CCAs in testing |
|
Shortlisted CCAs: |
General Atomics’ XQ-67A and Anduril’s Fury |
The days of the dogfight are long gone, and the impressive suite of sensors on the B-21 are likely plenty to identify enemy fighters long before they see the bomber. The B-21 itself would not need to engage the target; it could fire the missiles from its loyal wingman drones.
Photo: Northrop Grumman
At this stage, there are few reasons to assume that the B-21 Raider will be used in this role. However, there are reasons to believe it could – at least in theory. At the very least, the B-21 Raider may prove a very prickly pear for any enemy fighter jet trying to engage it. Instead of only possessing limited self-defense systems like today’s strategic bombers, it might be very much able to fight back.