Blended Wing Body: Is This the Future of the U.S. Air Force?

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Key Points and Summary: The U.S. Air Force is exploring a revolutionary Blended-Wing Body (BWB) aircraft, which promises enhanced fuel efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and potential stealth applications.

-Developed by startup JetZero, the BWB concept could replace aging cargo planes like the C-17 and C-5 by the 2030s or inspire a stealth tanker for refueling next-gen fighters.

-With up to 30% fuel savings compared to current aircraft, the BWB could transform military aviation.

-However, uncertainties remain due to the incoming Trump administration’s priorities and focus on cost-cutting. The first flight of a scaled-down prototype is expected by 2027, setting the stage for future breakthroughs in design.

Blended Wing Body Aircraft: The Future of Aviation?

It’s probably not something you have seen before in aircraft design. The concept is called Blended Wing Body, a technology demonstrator sure to wow the crowd. The aircraft could be more fuel efficient with a smaller carbon footprint. It also may be the impetus for the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, which is searching for design ideas as it endures an operational pause and strategic review by the incoming Trump administration. Or it could be a next-generation tanker or cargo jet.

Something New that Many Designers Haven’t Thought Of

The Blended Wing Body airplane is striking, and its engineers and designers should be commended for getting the program this far in development. It could fly as soon as 2027 as the software is now fully updated and design parameters are solid. What will fly is a scaled-down version of the airplane. The idea is to demonstrate the technology and then build the final full-size version at the end of the decade.

Fuel-Saving and Environmentally Friendly 

What is great about Blended Wing Body designs is the fuel savings compared to current cargo airplanes in the Air Force. They can use 30 percent less fuel than what the service branch flies now, says an office at Air Force headquarters overseeing the energy component of the project.

It is not clear if Blended Wing Body designs will someday run on alternative fuels, but that could be in the cards.

Startup Punches Above Its Weight for Innovative Design

The prime defense contractor is a startup called JetZero. JetZero says on its corporate website that blended-wing body shapes are the “biggest leap in commercial aircraft design” in the business with the “ultimate goal of zero-carbon emissions aviation.”

“This is a prototype/demonstration project,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said at an kick-off event with the Air & Space Forces Association in 2023. “It is intended to accelerate the next generation of the large aircraft the Air Force needs in the future … There’s a real potential in this technology to help increase fuel efficiency significantly. That’s going to lead to improvements in not just the efficiency and capability of our force, but also in our impact on the climate.”

The blended wing body aircraft program was developed from the X-48 project that ended in 2013. The X-48 had three engines, which set it apart from most airplanes in service with the Air Force. The X-48 flew in 2007 as a technology demonstrator.

Stealthy Long-range Tanker

The blended wing body aircraft could be an inspiration for the Next-Generation Aerial Refueling program, which aims to get a stealth tanker to refuel fifth- and sixth-generation airplanes such as the F-22, F-35, and NGAD. With non-stealth tankers, pilots must worry about a large radar signature that gives away the flight position of the tanker and jet being fueled to the enemy. The Next-Generation refueler would solve that problem.

These new designs could also be used in cargo airplanes. The blended-wing body concept is for bigger aircraft, and the fuel efficiency could save money for every flight hour. 

The Air Force said its current blended-wing body demonstrator would be assembled from this year until 2026 to prepare for the first flight. Scaled Composites is working with JetZero to fully construct the futuristic bird. 

Could It Become a New Cargo Plane?

The service branch is looking for something that may replace the C-5, C-17, or C-130 in the 2030s. Blended-wing body concepts could even be used for the bomber that comes after the B-21 Raider in the 2040s. So, the Air Force is peering into the future for airplane design, combining stealth with fuel efficiency and environmentally friendly attributes.  

A blended-wing body could also achieve a better range that would allow airplanes to fly further in the Indo-Pacific, which would be necessary when refueling other jets or extending the cargo or transport mission.

One problem I foresee with the blended-wing body project is the environmental or carbon-neutral aspect of the airplane. President-elect Donald Trump is not known for environmental or climate change policies, which could be a factor if the blended-wing body airplane does not get the green light for future development.

No new Secretary of the Air Force nominee has emerged, although there is a candidate to head acquisition efforts. New leadership means novel ideas – a “new broom sweeps clean,” and the Air Force could be looking to save money by canceling programs.

Thus, this airplane has an uncertain future. But it is good to plan for breakthroughs in re-fueling, transporting, or heavy lifting of cargo. The Air Force is looking many decades ahead, and this is one way to get a jumpstart on what China and Russia are trying to do with futuristic aircraft design.  

About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood 

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.