Video: The Air Force is considering the B-21 for air-to-air combat

Could the Air Force consider the B-21 Raider stealth strategic bomber for air-to-air combat?

The short answer is yes.

Back in July, Sandboxx News proposed the idea that the B-21 could potentially absorb some parts of the air superiority mission as the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program began to falter. Now, that appears to be exactly what the Air Force is considering.

“Could America’s new stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, also become America’s new stealth fighter? Now that is a question I first floated back in July,” Alex Hollings, Sandboxx New’s Editor-in-Chief and the host of AirPower on YouTube, said in a recent video.

Recently, the Air Force’s chief of staff admitted that the service is considering the B-21 Raider in an air-to-air combat role. The whole issue surfaced after the NGAD was put on hold over its capabilities and cost.

The B-21 Raider is a 6th generation strategic stealth bomber under development by Northrup Grumman. The Air Force revealed America’s next strategic bomber in 2022, and the program is moving at a fast pace aiming for an operational capability by the early 2030s.

To learn more about the B-21 Raider and its potential air-to-air role in a future conflict with China or Russia, watch Sandboxx New’s episode of AirPower above.

Feature Image: The B-21 Raider is designed with an open systems architecture, enabling rapid insertion of mature technologies and allowing the aircraft to be effective as threats evolve. The bomber was designed up front for supportability and maintainability – based upon decades of lessons learned and best practices from prior aircraft programs – to improve long-term affordability and outcomes in operations and sustainment, July 2023. (USAF)