The most advanced military aircraft is here: Why US Air Force’s B-21 Raider should make everyone nervous

It’s almost here! The world’s first sixth-generation aircraft will be unveiled tomorrow (2 December) and manufacturers, Northrop Grumman, are building the hype around it.

The world will get to see the United States’ Air Force and Northrop Grumman’s latest stealth aircraft called the B-21 Raider, as it will be unveiled at the company’s facility in Palmdale, California on Friday.

We can’t wait for the world to see the real thing. Join us for a live-stream of the reveal of B-21 Raider this Friday: https://t.co/4ZHRxsU8TX

This changes everything. #DefiningPossible #RiseoftheRaider pic.twitter.com/GwU8i8Wl6n

— Northrop Grumman (@northropgrumman) November 27, 2022

Currently, six bombers are being built in Palmdale at about $2 billion (Rs 1,624) crore per aircraft. They are expected to be flying in 2023.

Here’s what we know about the aircraft, which the company calls the “most advanced military aircraft ever built.”

A stealth bomber like no other

The B-21 Raider, built by American Northrop Grumman, is designed to carry out long-range bombing and nuclear missions employing cutting-edge stealth technologies.

Work on this advanced aircraft began in 2015 after the aerospace and defence company won the contract to design and produce the aircraft.

Officials from Northrop call the B-21 “pioneering” and “technological excellence”. “The B-21 is the most advanced military aircraft ever built and is a product of pioneering innovation and technological excellence,” said Northrop sector vice president and general manager Dough Young. “The Raider showcases the dedication and skills of the thousands of people working every day to deliver this aircraft,” he added.

Very few details about the Bomber have been released with officials from the US Air Force as well as Northrop remaining tight-lipped about the project. So much so, that even images of the aircraft haven’t been released — only artist sketches have been shared as of date. This has been done so that China, Russia, and others are not able to copy the design or come up with technology that could shoot down the plane.

According to a Defense One report, the aircraft has been designed with a new generation of stealth technology to evade radar detection. It eventually will be able to carry nuclear or conventional bombs and fly with or without pilots.

It has also been reported that the company has used digital engineering and advanced manufacturing to build the plane.

Moreover, unlike earlier planes, the B-21 Raider will not undergo block upgrades. According to the company, new technology, capabilities and weapon systems will be incorporated in the aircraft through agile software upgrades and built-in hardware flexibility, very similar to how smart phones have system upgrades.

Northrop has stated the B-21 Raider will be the backbone of the US bomber fleet and pivotal to supporting the nation’s strategic deterrence strategy.

A name fit for a fighter

The B-21 Raider has been named after a group of World War II bomber pilots and crewmen known as the Doolittle Raiders.

On 18 April 1942, 80 men and 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers set off on what some said was an impossible mission, to change the course of World War II. These men, led by Lt Col Jimmy Doolittle, launched 16 B-25s to bomb Japanese industrial centres following the devastating Pearl Harbor attack.

What was even more daring about this attack was that they launched from the flight deck of the USS Hornet despite the aircraft carrier not being designed to accommodate planes of such size.

“The raid acted as a catalyst to many future innovations in US air superiority from land or sea,” Northrop wrote on its website. “That bold, innovative and courageous spirit of the Doolittle Raiders has been the inspiration behind the name of America’s next-generation bomber, the B-21 Raider.”

Also read: India a step closer to getting its fifth-generation aircraft: What is this advanced fighter and why we need it?

Enemies beware

With the ability to penetrate the toughest defences to deliver precision strikes “anywhere in the world”, the B-21 Raider could be a problem for America’s enemies.

However, according to some defence experts, the B-21 would have a limited impact on China. People’s Liberation Army (PLA) equipment expert Fu Qianshao said that it would be difficult for the B-21 to penetrate China’s defences because it would be intercepted by long-range missiles after being detected.

Song Zhongping, a military commentator based in Hong Kong, agreed it would not be easy for the B-21 to avoid detection by China’s military because “the PLA is also constantly developing anti-stealth capabilities, and there are also a variety of anti-stealth radars”.

“The United States overestimated the B-21’s capability, and underestimated the anti-stealth capability of China and Russia,” Song told South China Morning Post.

With inputs from agencies

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