The World Awaits the “Secretive” B-21 .. What Might Its Technologies Include?

Video Above Colonel Michael Stefanovic, Director of the Strategic Studies Institute for the Air Force sits down for an exclusive interview with Kris Osborn

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington D.C.) As the world prepares to witness the dramatic and much anticipated unveiling of the new Air Force B-21 Raider Stealth bomber, there is indeed a widespread recognition that vast volumes of information and detail on the largely “black” program will remain an unknown mystery. While certainly much more is “unknown” when it comes to the new B-21, yet there are a few available details and many “observations” of relevance. Of course the Air Force and Pentagon says very little about the bomber for understandable and obvious security reasons.  There are some general areas related to stealth technology which it would seem were a measure of focus for weapons developers. Again, no Air Force or Pentagon official is confirming anything specific about the B-21, it just relevant and significant to think in broad terms about what kinds of systems advanced stealth might incorporate. 

Breakthrough new stealth technology such as carefully engineered coating and radar absorbent materials, acoustic and thermal signature management systems and cloud computing have all likely been areas of focus for Air Force innovators and weapons developers. The Air Force has of course not said this, as these are merely general ideas related to the topic of stealth and modernization.  Other possible areas of focus inlcude new data processing and networking capabilities, AI-enabled digital flight controls, avionics and sensors and a “built-in” ability to accommodate new weapons and technologies as they emerge are all likely areas of technological emphasis on the bomber.

Video Above: A Warrior Maven exclusive interview with US Air Force Maj. Gen. & Commander of the Air Force Research Lab, Heather Pringle

Many years ago, senior Air Force weapons developers made powerful comments about the B-21, saying it will fly with an ability to hold “any target in the world at risk, anywhere at any time.” Developers have also for many years been saying the new B-21 will incorporate paradigm-changing new generations of stealth technology, perhaps sufficient to elude even the most advanced Russian-built S-400 and S-500 air defenses.