The B-21 Raider shall be an advanced sequel to the B-2 Spirit, likely becoming a keystone in U.S. strategic deterrence. Budgetary limitations could severely cap its production, limiting the defense capabilities of the United States relative to near-peer opponents like Russia.
While the B-2 Spirit is one of the most significant powerhouses the U.S. Air Force has in its inventory, capable of deep penetration stealth capabilities and nuclear payload delivery, there are very few of these units built since their introduction in 1997. Being this valuable, the service can ill afford to expend them on large operations. Its stealth technology notwithstanding, the advanced A2/AD systems developed by adversaries increasingly prove a threat to aging bombers.
Meet the B-21 Raider, a more advanced and capable stealth bomber meant to solve some of the shortcomings of the earlier B-2 Spirit. But here’s the challenge again: getting enough money in the budget to fund the production of these bombers. “The failure to build sufficient B-21s could undermine U.S. deterrence, provoking the very conflicts America seeks to avoid,” experts warn.
The U.S. defense budget, at nearly $1 trillion, is far more constrained than it has ever been in the face of increasing dangers from near-peer rivals. Maintaining credible deterrence through advanced weaponry like the B-21 is an expensive proposition. Although less complex and hence less expensive to build than entirely new technologies, the B-21 remains an expensive system, providing pushback against the request from the Pentagon for a large number of bombers.
Estimates have it that analysts say the Pentagon would need at least 300 B-21s to ensure credible deterrence. If Russia perceives a weakening in America’s deterrence capabilities, they may very well be emboldened to challenge U.S. interests more aggressively. The B-21, of course, is part of a small number of systems that can survive enemy defenses and deliver decisive blows.
The B-21, like the B-2, has not yet been able to find its way to the level of appropriations that it needs. For three decades now, the B-2 story has been one of half-hearted Pentagon efforts to place enough bucks on its wish list. As the global security environment has become more contested in recent years, it is more crucial than ever to have robust and reliable strategic bombers.