B-21 Raider Thread

[madrat]

Sigint is going to be night and day from the B-2 and F-22A. Cannot help but think bomb dropping is just one of its less impressive capabilities.

[disconnectedradical]

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-f ... th-bomber/

The Air Force isn’t looking to buy more than 100 B-21s because it may come up with something better by the time all those aircraft are built, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin told the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 16.

While the B-21 “is the future of our bomber force,” Allvin told the SASC that fresher, more effective technology may appear before the planned B-21 production run is complete, making the Air Force hesitant to commit to any more just yet.

[disconnectedradical]

A bit older news but B-21 flight testing is proceeding along.

https://theaviationist.com/2024/04/05/b ... st-flight/

[tank-top]

Speculation on the Myriad of possible EW and radar I think I’m safe to assume some form of all of these systems to be present on the B-21.

My question is a bit off topic and forgive me if it’s mean mentioned but I would think some form A2A capability would also be available as the Air Force has already stated that a 6th gen aircraft has already flown. That’s not my question though, what’s the feasibility on AIM 9X being used as a defensive weapons system to down incoming SAM’s or A2A missiles?

[ricnunes]

Speculation on the Myriad of possible EW and radar I think I’m safe to assume some form of all of these systems to be present on the B-21.

I'm almost 100% sure that that B-21 will have radar and EW. For instance B-2 has radar (although no air-to-air modes that I know of):
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military ... pq-181.htm

So why wouldn't the B-21 have radar (and EW as well)?

My question is a bit off topic and forgive me if it’s mean mentioned but I would think some form A2A capability would also be available as the Air Force has already stated that a 6th gen aircraft has already flown. That’s not my question though, what’s the feasibility on AIM 9X being used as a defensive weapons system to down incoming SAM’s or A2A missiles?

There's definitely speculation that the B-21 may or could carry air-to-air missiles. Not the AIM-9X but AMRAAM instead. And this makes sense since the AMRAAM has much longer range than the AIM-9X and as such would provide much better protection including from enemy aircraft coming from behind.
There was even a speculation that one of NGAD's concept was using a derivative of the B-21 filled with Air-to-Air missiles (not for self-defence but for air-to-air missions) but it seems that NGAD is a different (and supersonic) aircraft.

The Air Force stating that a 6th gen aircraft has already flown, was probably referring to NGAD and not to the B-21.

Honestly I have my doubts that something like the AIM-9X would be suited to intercept incoming SAM’s or A2A missiles. I believe that directed energy weapons such as Lasers would be far better suited for that and the B-21 sure seems to have the size to carry such weapons.