USAF Confirms New B-21 Bomber for Possible Major Air-To-Air Combat Role

In the history of American aerial warfare, the only real air-to-air role our bombers have played was defensive. For example, World War II in Europe saw flights of hundreds of B-17 and B-24 bombers over Germany and occupied Europe, each festooned with as many as 13 .50 caliber machine guns for defense, forcing German fighters to fly through a hailstorm of thumb-sized slugs to attack their targets.

That may be changing. The new B-21 Raider bomber may, according to the United States Air Force, be suited to a major air-to-air role in future conflicts.

The U.S. Air Force is exploring options for adding air-to-air combat capabilities to its bombers as part of efforts adjacent to its latest fighter force structure plans. The service has raised the possibility of the B-21 Raider, specifically, taking on an air-to-air role, and potentially doing so in cooperation with Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, in the past. As TWZ has explored for years, the B-21’s inherent attributes – size, extreme range, high operating ceiling, broadband low-observability (stealthiness), and advanced sensors – could actually make it especially well suited to taking part in air-to-air combat missions. The Air Force’s other bombers could also be part of these future plans.

Aviation Week was first to report on the potential for bombers to help bolster the Air Force’s air-to-air combat capacity after obtaining a copy of a new long-term fighter force structure report submitted to Congress last week. Media coverage of this report first began to appear earlier this week following a roundtable on Tuesday with Lt. Gen. David Tabor, the service’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs. The full report, which is unclassified, was not disseminated to reporters at that time.

It would seem to make some sense to have the B-21 act as a high-altitude, stealthy air-to-air missile battery. But right now, it's not at all clear how the B-21 could be adapted for this role.

For years now, TWZ has been highlighting how the B-21 could serve in multiple roles beyond just that of a traditional bomber, including in an air-to-air capacity. Air Force officials have themselves described the Raider as having multi-mission capabilities, which could extend into the realm of air-to-air combat.

“If we were to characterize it [NGAD] as a fighter, we would be… thinking too narrowly about what kind of airplane we need in a highly contested environment,” then-Air Force Maj. Gen. Scott Pleus told what was then just Air Force Magazine back in 2019. This could be “a B-21 that also has air-to-air capabilities” and can “work with the family of systems to defend itself, utilizing stealth – maybe that’s where the sixth-generation airplane comes from.”

The B-21, in addition to being stealthy, has a high operating ceiling, which may well put it out of the reach of some enemy ground-to-air and even air-to-air assets — although, even in the case of ground-to-air, we may recall a guy named Gary Powers. As we develop capabilities, the other sides, the nations that may one day face us, are busily developing counters.

There are some interesting possibilities here, though. A B-21 could carry quite a load of air-to-air missiles. It may one day even be able to launch semi-autonomous drones that could penetrate enemy airspace and assist with targeting both air and ground assets, although that doesn't seem to be in the cards at the moment. There are already reports that the B-21 will be able to control drones, although it's less clear whether the new bomber will be able to launch and/or retrieve those drones. As of this writing, the Air Force reportedly has no plans for the Raider to carry drones, although it may be able to work with them.

The Air Force is still evaluating the B-21. It will doubtless, like any new aircraft, have its strengths and weaknesses. But if we do ever enter into another near-peer conflict, of the kind we have not fought since 1945, it would be good for our most advanced bomber aircraft to have as many and as varied capabilities as we can manage.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are once again respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.

Help us continue to report on the administration’s peace through strength foreign policy and its successes. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.