For over forty years, the B-52 Stratofortress has been the mainstay of the United States’ manned strategic bomber force. First flown in 1954, the B-52 has proven to be an incredibly versatile aircraft capable of delivering a wide variety of weapons, from gravity bombs and cluster bombs to precision-guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions. With modern technological upgrades, the B-52 is likely to continue playing a vital role in U.S. defenses throughout the 21st century, and its operational lifespan is now projected to extend beyond 2040.
The combat effectiveness of the B-52 was displayed during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Allied Force, where it omitted precision strikes on large-area troop concentrations, fixed installations, and bunkers. Its flexibility was again put to the test during Operation Desert Strike in 1996, when two B-52Hs launched 13 AGM-86C conventional air-launched cruise missiles, or CALCMs, from an altitude of 34 hours and 16,000 miles on a round-trip mission from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, to strike Baghdad power stations and communications facilities. The aircraft further performed prominent roles in Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, truly bearing testimony to its long-term strategic value.
Today, only the B-52H model remains in service and is operated by the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, as part of Air Force Global Strike Command. Also falling under Air Force Reserve Command, the 307th Bomb Wing operates the B-52H at Barksdale.
The U.S. On 22 January, the Department of Defense declared the start of low-scale production for the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber. B-21 is the sixth generation of Stealth Bombers, developed in the LRSB program initiated in 2011, replacing the B-1 Lancer and the B-2 Spirit. Even though most of the information regarding B-21 is classified, it reportedly includes the most modern and advanced features of stealth: the edges are recessed and cut down, and the cockpit windows are uniquely shaped in a way to reduce the radar signature. The B-21 will also be able to carry nuclear-armed weapons.
The B-21 would be the world’s first sixth-generation warplane, coming at an estimated cost of $750 million per unit. It is advanced radar-absorbent materials and new manufacturing techniques that can account for this cost reduction. Other than advanced stealth capabilities, the B-21 will be able to perform deep-strike missions against formerly impervious targets and act as a SIGINT platform. It will also be able to conduct AEW&C missions with greater survivability than current aircraft.
The high degree of secrecy observed for the B-21 can be understood in the context of past incidents, such as the 2009 data breach of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, which ostensibly led to the development of China’s J-31 fighter. In such a light, the extraordinary secrecy surrounding the B-21 seeks to prevent any such data breaches and borrows from other stealth aircraft.
The B-21 Raider was formally revealed on 2 December 2022, during a ceremony held at Edwards Air Force Base in California. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin emphasized the aircraft as an example of American ingenuity and innovation, pointing out that it was to be America’s key driver in boosting its capability to deter aggression. Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden called the B-21 “the most capable stealth bomber ever built,” ushering in a new era for technology in national defense.
The open systems architecture in the B-21 Raider enables new capabilities and subsystems to be quickly upgraded. The modified designs of the aircraft make it operational in crewed and uncrewed configurations, making it more versatile and survivable in any high-threat environment. The Air Force decided to buy at least 100 B-21 Raiders. The first flight is estimated to occur in 2023. Northrop Grumman is currently building six models at its facility in Palmdale, California.
The B-21 Raider, on the brink of induction into the force, represents an exponential jump in capability for the strategic forces of the USAF, cementing America’s lead in the world of stealth bombers for generations to come.