US Air Force highlights B-21's role in future air dominance strategy

The B-21 Raider, heralded by Northrop Grumman as the first sixth-generation aircraft, is making strides in its development, showcasing advanced stealth, data-sharing capabilities, and an innovative open systems architecture, Defense News features.

The forthcoming B-21 Raider stealth bomber may play a more significant role in the Air Force's future air dominance strategy as the service reevaluates its plans for an advanced sixth-generation fighter.

“We have not taken that off the table,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin stated at the Military Reporters and Editors conference when asked whether the review of its superiority strategy might lead to a greater emphasis on the Northrop Grumman-made B-21.  

For years, the Air Force has been developing a concept known as Next Generation Air Dominance—a system family that aims to include a sixth-generation fighter to succeed the F-22 Raptor along with autonomous drone wingmen—and had initially planned to award a contract for it in 2024.

This summer, the Air Force paused its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program due to its high anticipated costs. As initially conceived, NGAD could cost up to three times that of an F-35, potentially reaching $300 million each, according to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.   In response, the Air Force initiated a redesign of its NGAD concept and future air superiority strategy to find a more cost-effective way to counter major adversaries like China.  

However, while the Air Force is considering a more B-21-focused air dominance strategy, it is not altering its acquisition plans for the stealth bomber. Allvin stated that the Air Force is currently committed to purchasing at least 100 B-21s. Northrop Grumman has promoted the B-21 as the first sixth-generation aircraft, highlighting its advanced stealth, data-sharing capabilities, and use of open systems architecture. The initial B-21 began flight testing in November 2023 at Edwards Air Force Base in California and has continued since then.  

 As the testing process for the B-21 moves forward, Allvin hopes the Air Force will gain a clearer understanding of the bomber's capabilities and build more confidence in its performance. He commended the management of the B-21 program thus far, which may assist the Air Force in determining how many bombers it will be able to procure.

By Naila Huseynova