It is probably the most advanced aircraft ever built by man..A “sixth-generation” combat stealth bomber … or as the USAF says, an ISR node (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) deep within enemy-controlled airspace, optimized for a high-end threat environment..In other words, if this thing is coming after you, you’re not going to have much of a chance defending against it.. Artist rendition of B-21 in combat(ILLUSTRATION) -- An artist illustration shows a notional formation of U.S. Air Force B-21 bombers firing AGM-183A hypersonic missiles over the Pacific Ocean. Illustration: Mike Tsukamoto/staff; USAF; Jonny Belvedere. .Rolled out of its hangar in Northrop Grumman’s mysterious Palmdale, Calif., Plant 42 on Friday in a dramatic, live Hollywood reveal on YouTube, and set for its first flight in mid-2023, here is what we know about the B-21 Raider..After brief opening remarks by Northrop CEO Kathy Warden, who said the plane “will be the backbone of US air power” and represented a “new era in technology for national defense,” the white veil was literally withdrawn to swelling orchestral music, Breaking Defense reported..Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, speaking in front of the plane and somewhat dwarfed by it, touted its capabilities..“The B-21 looks imposing, but what’s under the frame and the space-age coatings is even more impressive,” he said, highlighting the bomber’s range, stealth and durability. “Even the most sophisticated air defense systems will struggle to detect the B-21 in the sky.”.“The Raider is designed to deliver both conventional and nuclear munitions with formidable precision,” he said..Still holding its cards to its chest tightly, the company has revealed some new details about the seven-year-old, largely classified US$203 billion program, Air & Space Forces magazine reported..Northrop described complementary elements of the B-21 “family of systems”; confirmed a “digital twin” version of the aircraft; and, in a break with previous programs, eliminated the “block upgrade” approach to modernization..Named “Raider” to commemorate the B-25 Doolittle raiders that bombed Japan early in the Second World War, the bomber “has … been designed as the lead component of a larger family of systems that will deliver intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic attack and multi-domain networking capabilities.”. The original RaidersThe original Raiders .The statement confirms that the B-21 will rely on external support platforms or systems, although whether these are escort aircraft, bomber-launched vehicles, satellites, or some other technology is unclear..Today, the US long-range bomber fleet is the oldest, smallest, and most fragile it has ever been..Except for the B-2, US bombers cannot survive in highly contested airspace. Fielding a robust force of B-21s is the only way it can maintain the range and payload advantage it enjoyed in past conflicts..Among the long-standing principles of war, surprise is one of the most valuable: Surprise creates shock, confusion, and indecisiveness..Confronting adversaries in unexpected ways forces errors, exposes vulnerabilities, and ultimately slows their ability to react effectively in a timely manner..And we all know, who that adversary is, don’t we..China is aggressively attempting to assert itself as the Indo-Pacific region’s economic and military leader and is backing up its ambitions by rapidly expanding the capacity and capability of its armed forces..This week, the China Military Power Report, says China may have 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 — a frightening prospect..And by 2025, the People’s Liberation Army Navy is expected to grow to 400 hulls, up from its fleet of 340, the report said..Let’s face it, a war against China in the Indo-Pacific would not be like the permissive contests seen in Iraq and Afghanistan..Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall recently said he was abandoning plans to develop autonomous, long-range, collaborative combat aircraft meant to escort the B-21 but that did not rule out the bomber launching decoys, jamming vehicles or ISR-collecting drones..The company said it has successfully demonstrated migration of B-21 ground systems data to “a cloud environment.”.This demonstration included “the B-21 digital twin, that will support B-21 operations and sustainment. This robust cloud-based digital infrastructure will result in a more maintainable and sustainable aircraft with lower-cost infrastructure.”.A “digital twin” is a digital model of a system that allows changes —and their ramifications — to be explored by engineers with far greater fidelity and speed than the usual pattern of block upgrades..“To meet the evolving threat environment, the B-21 has been designed from day one for rapid upgradeability,” the company said..“This will ensure the B-21 Raider can continuously meet the evolving threat head on for decades to come.”.Northrop Grumman described the B-21 as a “sixth-generation” aircraft, a term which has yet to be clearly defined. A fifth-generation aircraft employs a high degree of stealth in all aspects, and a high degree of situational awareness..On the stealth front, the company said it’s applying “continuously advancing technology, employing new manufacturing techniques and materials to ensure the B-21 will defeat the anti-access, area-denial systems it will face.”.The Air Force projects the average procurement unit cost of the B-21 to be US$692 million in 2022 dollars per aircraft, a sum that includes the bomber itself as well as training, spares and support equipment..A minimum of 100 B-21s is the current capacity requirement, but the number needed may be upwards of 145, depending on the pacing threat of China’s military buildup..Security was tight, for the reveal..Attendees and the few journalists lucky to get accreditation were given strict guidance that prohibited taking smartphones into the event or shooting video..Also, photos had to be taken from a raised platform with cameras that met certain lens requirements..Many of the details about the classified program — including cost data and information about the Raider’s capabilities — have been kept secret in the hopes of preventing China or Russia from gaining an edge..As for the B-21 on display on Friday, Warden said, “The next time you see this plane, it’ll be in the air.”. The old B-2The old B-2
