Sentry Contributor
United States Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall recently approved operating bases for the Air Force’s newest strategic bomber, the B-21 Raider.
The decision came after an evaluation process, which included operational analysis, site surveys, and consideration of environmental, economic and technical factors. Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, join Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, as second and third basing locations, respectively.
The experience that Whiteman Air Force Base has with the B-2 Spirit also aided the decision as both aircraft have similar dimensions and infrastructure needs for operation. The base is also strategically located in the center of the U.S., providing easy access to both coasts and the country’s central regions. The location makes it also an ideal base for the B-21, as it allows for quick response times and the ability to reach targets across the globe.
“The Air Force’s decision to select Whiteman Air Force Base as the second operating base for the B-21 Raider ensures that Whiteman will continue its important work maintaining, flying and training on the stealth bomber,” U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri said. “Whiteman Air Force base is a critical aspect of the United States’ nuclear triad and a vital piece to our nuclear deterrence.”
The B-21 will replace the aging B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit in the coming decade. Until then, the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) will remain ready and provide strike options by continuing to maintain and modernize B-1 and B-2 bombers in service until their planned retirement in the 2030s. The B-52 Stratofortress is also receiving a series of upgrades to its engines, radar and avionics to extend its service into the 2050s.
The bomber will be a significant improvement from the current bomber force as a component of a larger family of systems for conventional long-range strike, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic attack, communication, and other capabilities. It will carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, and its design will accommodate manned or unmanned operations. It also will employ a mix of stand-off and direct-attack munitions. The aircraft design will include open systems architecture to allow for future additional functionality and modernization and can evolve as the threat environment changes.
Northrop Grumman unveiled the aircraft in early December 2022, marking the first new strategic bomber introduction in a generation since the B-2 Spirit’s debut in November 1988. The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 B-21s, which are currently in low-rate initial production after making maiden flights in November 2023. Since then, the aircraft has undergone several flight tests in its path to assuming the role as the premier bomber in the Air Force’s arsenal.
The B-21 allows U.S. forces to maintain a credible nuclear deterrent. Designed to operate in a high-end threat environment, the B-21 will play a critical role in ensuring the U.S.’s enduring airpower capability.