One of the most significant innovations the B-21 brings is its deployment of digital technology. While older U.S. Air Force bombers have been upgraded and retrofitted many times, some platforms are decades old, and a full replacement will help modernize the service’s fleet.
The B-21 can be flown manned or controlled remotely, making it the first intercontinental strategic bomber capable of carrying nuclear bombs without a pilot. The B-21 also has many of the same remote-operational capabilities as the MQ-1 Predator and other unmanned aerial vehicles. Granted, a qualified pilot will still need to fly the aircraft, but they can do so from the comfort of their home installation in the United States or at a forward operating base set up elsewhere. This marks a significant boost forward in semi-autonomous strategic flight operations.
Stealth technology has also advanced greatly since the Air Force first kitted the F-117 Nighthawk with it in 1983. Since then, it has become more advanced and significantly cheaper. The B-21’s stealth technology, coupled with its capability to operate as both a strategic bomber and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, means it will be able to provide maximum support across myriad operations.
