Following the unveiling of the B-21 Raider;

Harry Boneham, Aerospace Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view on the arrival of the first US ‘next-generation’ aerospace platform:

“The unveiling of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber heralds the arrival of the next generation of US aerospace platforms, and lays down the gauntlet to those seeking to challenge American airpower such as Russia and China.

“It is expected that the B-21 will enter service in the mid-2020s, and will be followed by the US Air Force’s NGAD and US Navy’s F/A-XX sixth-generation aircraft in the mid-to-late 2030s. When they enter service in the not-too-distant future, they will be a daunting prospect to near-peer adversaries.

“Meanwhile, rival development programs are also progressing. In China, a concept aircraft for a sixth-generation fighter for the PLAAF was unveiled at Zhuhai Air Show in 2022. This development program is believed to be credibly advancing and could deliver a platform to service in the mid-2030s. This underscores the importance of US progress in the rapid development and delivery of next-gen platforms such as the B-21. It is essential that the US gains these capabilities prior to near-peer adversaries such as China or Russia in order to have a deterrent effect.

“The B-21 is expected to replace both the B-2 Spirit and B-1B Lancer, forming the backbone of the US Air Force strategic bomber force alongside B-52s. With at least 100 platforms to be procured, far exceeding the 20 B-2s in inventory, the Air Force is investing heavily in the B-21’s capability. It could be argued that this is because the Air Force envisages that, in future conflicts, the B-21 will play a different role—or at least supplementary roles—to the B-2 Spirit. However, the B-21 will not only play a role in strategic deterrent. In hypothetical conflicts against adversaries such as China, long-range, stealthy precision strikes against critical sites such as anti-ship missile targets will be a pivotal capability.”