By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
(Washington DC) The sleek, stealthy looking bat-like design of the emerging B-21 stealth bomber is understandably generating interest in the mysterious, yet critical new platform finally unveiled last December.
Eluding enemy air defenses to penetrate and attack hostile targets is of course its high-valued mission, and for years many Air Force leaders and weapons developers have made it clear that the B-21 Raider incorporates new, paradigm-changing dimensions of stealth technology.
B-21 Intelligence Node and Drones
Beyond its stealthy design and bomb attack mission scope, the B-21 platform will also operate as a critical sensor or “intelligence” node in the sky, functioning as a multi-domain, networked “gateway” point at which to collect, process, analyze and transmit vast pools of time-sensitive, combat relevant information.
Of course specific mission details, concepts of operations or technological capabilities of the B-21 remain mysterious and largely unavailable for security reasons, as it is a largely “black” or secret program, the bomber will likely function as an indispensable data processing and transmission node within a broader, integrated multi-domain combat network.
Senior Air Force leaders have said the B-21 will not only fly unmanned systems itself but also control drones from the air as well.
At the unveiling of the first B-21 last december, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown explained some of these “concepts of operation” expected to inform the B-21s mission scope.
Video Above: Air Force Research Lab Breaks Through With Networked Attacks
“The B-21 is multi-functional, as it can handle anything from gathering intel to battle management to integrating with our allies and partners that will work seamlessly across domains and theaters and across the joint force,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said last December at the unveiling of the new B-21.
The B-21 could use its stealth, altitude advanced sensing to potentially identify previously unseen high-value air, ground or surface targets and transmit detail to other air and ground-based command and control nodes.
This mission concept is of course an integral part of the Pentagon’s Joint All Domain Command and Control program, a highly prioritized effort to link data across domains in real time through a joint air, land, sea and space force. This will be made possible by secure transport-layer communications technologies, technical interfaces and “gateways” able to essentially “translate” information gathered through otherwise incompatible data formats.
This advanced sensing and computing technology will enable the B-21 to control nearby drones, process incoming sensor data from air, sea, ground and space information collection nodes and transmit high-value target detail to other nodes, platforms, attack systems and human decision-makers.
“We are assessing the potential to introduce a lower cost, complementary, uncrewed aircraft into the B-21 to provide an enhanced level of capability,” Undersecretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz told reporters last year at the announcement of the service’s 2023 budget request.
Using advanced, high-speed computer processing and AI-enabled analytics, the B-21s sensors and on-board computing may help determine the “optimal” effector or method-of-attack through which to destroy an enemy target.
B-21’s Edge Will Last for Decades
“The B-21s edge will last for decades to come,” Austin said at the unveiling.
Should key targeting information arrive through an RF signal, datalink, satellite or wireless computer, an AI-enabled data “gateway” type system can integrate otherwise incompatible data formats to “pool” and analyze targeting and intelligence information.
Using AI at the point of collection, B-21 computers would be positioned to integrate new incoming information from disparate sources and bounce collected detail off a vast-database to make determinations, perform analyses and present an integrated, multi-domain targeting and threat landscape picture to human decision makers in the cockpit or on the ground.
Through what former Air Force Acquisition Executive William Roper previously describe as software-hardware synergy, it seems conceivable that B-21 sensors, computers and electronics could better scale, deploy and streamline procedural functions such as checking avionics specifics, measuring altitude and speed and integrating otherwise disparate pools of sensor information.
Video Above: Air Force 6th-Gen Stealth Fighters Control Attack Drones
Roper, who now runs and recently unveiled a Digital Engineering Tech Company startup called Istari created in May 2022, has long advocated for software-hardware synergy and digital engineering. He oversaw and lead the successful integration of digital engineering in key acquisition programs such as the Air Force’s new Sentinel ICBM and 6th-Gen Next-Generation Air Dominance stealth fighter.
Among other things, this approach means war-sensitive sensor, targeting and navigational data will be managed and organized through increased computer automation. This will allow pilots to make faster and more informed combat decisions.
B-21 Loyal Wingman
Often referring to the B-21 in the context of a “family of systems,” senior Air Force leaders have for quite some time discussed the new aircraft as expected to be capable of unmanned missions.
This concept of operations could evolve in several ways, as it could involve preparations for having the B-21 fly unmanned missions itself, or operate groups of networked drones from the cockpit of the aircraft. “This initiative, similar to NGAD, identifies all of the components of the B-21 family of systems, including the potential use of more affordable un-crewed autonomous combat aircraft,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in an Air Force report about manned-unmanned teaming last year.
While there is of course no substitute for the unique decision-making attributes of human cognition deemed critical to real-time dynamic adjustments amid a host of fast evolving air warfare variable, there are also unprecedented advantages to using drones in close coordination with the bomber.
This kind of “loyal wingman” capability, now progressing quickly through Air Force testing and development, enables a manned crew to control the flight path and sensor payload from the cockpit of the aircraft. This not only allows manned crews to operate at a safer stand-off range but also enables operation of a forward “node” or sensor platform from which to conduct surveillance, test enemy air defenses or even drop weapons when directed by a human.
Through programs such as the Air Force’s Valkyrie drone, the service has already demonstrated the ability of an F-35 or F-22 to fly alongside of and operate drones such as the Valkyrie. This greatly reduces latency by avoiding a need to route time-sensitive surveillance and targeting data through a ground station.
Manned-Unmanned Teaming
B-21 manned-unmanned teaming also introduces a wide range of new tactical possibilities, to include an ability to deliver a much larger weapons payload, increase dwell time over target areas and conduct attacks over a wider envelope or engagement area.
Armed drones could also be directed to fire upon and “jam” enemy air defenses with EW or even drop weapons when directed by a manned B-21 operating in the role of command and control. Unmanned systems could also incorporate what Kendall called “attributable,” lower cost mission systems.
“They (drones and unmanned systems) could deliver a range of sensors, other mission payloads, and weapons, or other mission equipment and they can also be attributable or even sacrificed if doing so conferred a major operational advantage – something we would never do with a crewed platform,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said at an Air Force conference last year. “The technologies are there now to introduce un-crewed platforms in this system-of-systems context, but the most cost effective approach and the operational concepts for this complement to crewed global strike capabilities have to be analyzed and defined.”
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University
