The name of America’s future stealth bomber, the B-21 “Raider”, honors the legacy of World War II’s Doolittle Raid, one of the most innovative strategic missions in Air Force history, service Secretary Deborah Lee James announced Monday.
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The US Air Force has picked a name to go with the number for its next long-range bomber-even though it will be almost a decade before the aircraft comes into service.
The Raider program faces a number of challenges, not least its potential drain on Pentagon funding during the 2020s alongside a broader refresh of the USA nuclear arsenal that will force tough choices for future presidents and lawmakers.
The name was revealed at the end of a video showcasing the Air Force’s strategic bombing past that kicked off the annual Air Force Association meeting in Washington. “The first two … submitted proposals that captured the essence of the bomber force and they are the winners of our contest”. Cole, who turned 101 on September 5, is the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders.
Sixteen bombers under the command of American aviator Lieutenant Colonel James “Jimmy” Doolittle bombed Tokyo and other places in Japan on April 18, 1942, when American spirits were at a low point, just four months after Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
Earlier IBD had reported that new stealth bomber may get a moniker inspired by a World War II-era bomber.
“We’ve got to ensure our Air Force dominates for the next generation”, James said.
We will be updating this post with more information as we obtain it.
The service’s ability to divest old capabilities and build new is paramount, and modernization remains a priority for the Air Force as it continues to play a major role defending against current and emerging threats. “This absolutely needs to be a focus for us”.
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“It’s not secrecy, it’s classification to keep it from our enemies; I don’t want our enemies to reverse engineer”, Sen.
