The U.S. Air Force’s B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Dilemma

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Key Points: The B-21 Raider, America’s next-generation stealth bomber, is poised to revolutionize military deterrence with cutting-edge features like sixth-generation stealth, hypersonic missile compatibility, and open architecture for adaptability.

-Developed to succeed the B-2 Spirit, the Raider promises global reach and integration with future technologies like autonomous refueling and drone swarms.

-However, its projected $730 million unit cost and America’s budgetary constraints cast doubt on its potential scale of deployment.

-While the Pentagon plans to build 100 units, experts argue 300 are needed to fully restore U.S. deterrence.

-Without prioritizing the B-21 over competing programs like NGAD, its full potential may remain unrealized.

B-21 Raider is the Best Bomber in the World. Here’s Why It’ll Never Take Off

Just when it looked like the United States military was losing its edge in stealth capabilities, the Eggheads at Skunkworks unveiled the prototype of the B-21 Raider.

This white-and-gray, next-generation stealth long-range nuclear-capable bomber is a real game-changer.

Indeed, it is not just a sleek new airplane for the Air Force. It is a strategic asset designed to deter future aggression, ensuring America’s ability to project power globally. 

This bird, if the US can mass-produce the B-21 in a timely enough manner, will keep the United States military relevant for decades to come. 

The B-21 Raider is billed as the successor to the B-2 Spirit long-range stealth nuclear bomber, which itself was a revolutionary leap in technological capabilities from its predecessors. Developed by Northrup Grumman, the B-21’s development was announced in 2015 under the Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) program. 

Shrouded in secrecy, the program slowly developed unnoticed until it was sprung on the world in December 2022. Bursting forth onto the international stage, in a carefully choreographed announcement out of Edwards Air Force Base in California, the B-21 had some of the familiar that previous stealth planes had, but it was decked out in new technologies that will ensure this bird

will be competitive for the next 50 years.

Understanding the B-21 Raider 

America’s new B-21 stealth bomber is designed with sixth-generation stealth technology, which is believed to be far superior to previous generations. The aircraft’s shape, materials, and propulsion systems are all engineered to minimize radar, infrared, acoustic, and visual signatures. This makes the B-21 nearly invisible to modern radar systems, thereby ensuring that it can easily penetrate heavily defended airspace. 

What’s more, the B-21 is believed to be capable of deploying the Air Force’s new, though still experimental, hypersonic cruise missile from over-the-horizon. This will be a key matter for the Americans, who are struggling to compensate for the growing complexity of enemy air defense systems, such as China’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) systems.

Each Raider is designed with what’s known as open architecture, meaning that each plane in the B-21 line can be easily upgraded and adapted to future threats or missions as those threats and needs evolve over the decades in which it is intended to serve. Of course, the details of the B-21 are closely held national secret. 

Nevertheless, if the B-21 is truly a successor to the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, one can make certain assumptions about the Raider’s capabilities. For example, the Raider is expected to have global reach, capable of operating from the United States and striking targets worldwide without refueling.

There is some speculation that the B-21 will be augmented by potential integration with autonomous refueling technologies, ensuring prolonged presence or rapid strike capabilities. Throughout my studies of the B-21 program, having spoken with certain colleagues on background at Edwards Air Force Base (this author has an almost yearly speaking engagement on base with elements from Plant 42), there is throughline from the B-21 to the much-ballyhooed Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. 

This is particularly true when we speak about the possible fusion of the B-21 with autonomous capabilities and the fact that the Raider’s stealth is purportedly beyond the stealth features of the vaunted fifth-generation warplanes that populate the American arsenal (the F-22A Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II). 

NGAD or B-21 Raider? Choose Wisely 

Much controversy has been had over whether the Air Force can afford to build the NGAD (it cannot). But why would it want to if it can simply merge many of the unique features of the proposed-but-costly NGAD with the much more practical and useful B-21? 

Currently, there are three airworthy B-21s with the Pentagon having approved of a low-rate production of 100. The Air Force really needs 300 of these planes for the program to make the kind of impact on restoring America’s ailing deterrence that is needed. It is unlikely, however, that the Air Force will never get 300 of these units. 

Come to think of it, considering the budgetary woes and US spending debt at hand (because of America’s profligate spending policies for decades), it is highly unlikely that the Air Force will even get to 100 of these units. Especially when taking into account the fact that each unit of the B-21 Raider is projected to cost around $730 million.

That would make the B-21 likely the most expensive line item in the Air Force’s already large budget, making the government bean counters and watchdog groups understandably nervous. But if the Air Force abandoned its quest for the NGAD program and maybe started cutting back on some of its other expensive programs and focused its efforts on developing the B-21, ensuring that it is a hypersonic cruise missile carrier and capable of deploying drone swarms (the so-called “Loyal Wingman” concept from the NGAD program), the cost might become more palatable to skeptical lawmakers.

One thing is clear, though, the B-21 is the most impressive bomber in the world. It just might never achieve its full potential because of the high cost and time required to build the program out. 

About the Author 

Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior Editor at 19FortyFive.com and a contributor at Popular Mechanics, consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, The American Spectator, and the National Interest. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.