Summary and What You Need to Know - 4 Key Points: The B-21 Raider, the U.S. Air Force's next-generation bomber, is undergoing flight testing and is designed to replace the B-2.

-This stealth aircraft will carry a variety of weapons, including the massive GBU-57A/B bunker buster, precision-guided munitions like the AGM-158B, and nuclear bombs like the B-61.

-Its enhanced stealth capabilities, which surpass the B-2's, will allow it to penetrate advanced air defense systems, making it a formidable tool for U.S. power projection.

-The B-21 will play a key role in the airborne leg of the nuclear deterrent triad. 

B-21 Raider: The Future of U.S. Air Force's Nuclear Deterrence

The U.S. Air Force’s next bomber is undergoing flight testing. 

The B-21 Raider is scheduled to replace the B-2 and is being developed as the future of Air Force power projection. Built purely for offensive reasons, the bomber is essentially a vessel of death and destruction, limited in purpose to the delivery of ordnance on target. 

Let’s take a look at the weapons the B-21 is expected to carry.

An Impressive Array of Weaponry

The B-21’s wide variety of weapons will outfit the new bomber to fulfill a number of mission profiles. Everything from penetrating weapons to precision-guided munitions and nuclear bombs will be compatible with the B-21.

Penetrating weapons are used for attacking hardened targets like a bunker or a cave dwelling. One example we can expect to find on the B-21 is the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). The 30,000-pound bomb is referred to as a “bunker buster” and, as the name suggests, is absolutely massive. By comparison, the next-largest available bunker busters in the Air Force inventory are the 5,000-pound GBU-28 and GBU-37. 

Designed by Boeing, the MOP measures 20.5 feet in length with a 31.5-inch diameter. With a 5,300-pound warhead, the MOP can penetrate to depths of 200 feet.

When a little bit more finesse is needed, the B-21 can deploy a precision-guided munition like the AGM-158B or the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range – or something equipped with a Joint Direct Attack Munition kit. Precision-guided munitions, or “smart bombs,” are built to minimize collateral damage and to maximize effectiveness against very specific targets. One example is the AGM-158, a stealth weapon with long-range capabilities and a 1,000-pound armor-piercing warhead. With inertial navigation and GPS, the AGM-158 homes in on a target using a data link throughout its flight trajectory. 

And of course, the Raider will be capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The B-21 will be a primary component of the U.S. nuclear deterrent triad. It will lead the airborne leg of the triad, which includes nuclear options over air, land, and sea. The B-21 will carry the B-61, a thermonuclear gravity bomb with a unit cost of $28 million. At 715 pounds, the B-61 has a blast yield believed to be between 0.3 and 340 kilotons.

Stealth Capabilities

The varied arsenal of the B-21 will be especially concerning to America’s adversaries given the B-21’s stealth capabilities. With a radar cross section lower than the B-2’s, the B-21 is expected to be able to penetrate sophisticated air defense systems. The B-21 will thus be able to deliver its arsenal without being detected first – and that’s what should make the B-21 special. 

Many bomber airframes are capable of dropping the weapons that the B-21 will be able to drop. There’s no unique capability there. But no other bomber has the B-21’s expected stealth capabilities. 

About the Author: Harrison Kass, Defense Expert 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

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