B-21 Raider: U.S. Air Force Faces Challenges in Fleet Expansion

The United States Air Force has to make important choices about its bomber force as global defense changes, especially since the B-21 Raider was introduced. Experts say that the U.S. Air Force needs a fleet of 300 bombers to successfully deal with China in possible battles. But as the B-21 Raider goes into service, problems start to show up. This makes people wonder how much it will cost to keep older bombs and how long it will take to add more to the fleet.

(Photo: Robb Report)

The U.S. Air Force has 131 active planes right now, such as B-1B Lancers, B-2 Spirits, and B-52 Stratofortresses. The B-21 Raider, which is meant to replace the old B-1s and B-2s, is an important part of modernizing America’s nuclear triad. With plans to build a fleet of 100 B-21 Raiders, there are worries that the general bomber fleet might shrink before it can grow.

United States Air Force Colonel Mark Gunzinger, who is now retired, says that the B-21 Raider needs to be bought more quickly and that more than 225 of them should be bought to meet tactical needs. The hard part is getting enough money to buy them quickly without making budget-driven choices that have hurt other advanced combat aircraft projects in the past.

The 2022 National Defense Strategy talks about how important it is to rebuild the U.S. bomber force so that it can fight Chinese aggression, stop opportunistic aggressors, and keep nuclear dangers at bay. Gunzinger’s report stresses how important it is to build a force of more than 300 bombers, with at least 225 B-21s.

Problems arise, though, when trying to buy so many. This is mostly because the B-21 Raider is very expensive, at around $660 million each. The price of 100 B-21s could reach $66 billion, which is a big investment even for the U.S. Congress. Doubling the order to scare off enemies, especially China, is still being thought about in terms of how affordable and possible it is.

A bigger order might be good for Northrop Grumman and its clients, but the time it takes to build a big Raider force is a problem. Reports say that the Air Force could buy about 10 planes a year by the 2030s. This means that even with all the money that is needed, building a large Raider force would take years.

As the U.S. Air Force deals with these problems, the strategy choices made about the B-21 Raider show how hard it is to update defenses to keep up with changing threats around the world.