B-21 bomber, Sentinel ICBM and F-47 fighter are capabilities US will turn to in its ‘darkest hour’: Air Force General

CALIFORNIA: United States Air Force (USAF) General Dale White has identified the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) programme and F-47 next-generation fighter aircraft as the three military capabilities on which the nation would rely in a major crisis, describing them as assets the United States would turn to in its “darkest hour”.

“There are three programmes the future of our nation depends upon: Sentinel, B-21 and F-47,” General White told members of the Raider Combined Test Force (CTF) during an all-call, an assembly or meeting of all personnel within a specific unit, at Edwards Air Force Base on June 8. “These are the capabilities our nation will turn to in its darkest hour,” he said.

White’s remarks came as the US Air Force announced a significant milestone in the B-21 Raider programme. An operational test pilot recently flew the stealth bomber alongside a developmental test pilot, marking a step aimed at accelerating the aircraft’s path to operational service.

According to the Air Force, integrating operational and developmental testing at an early stage represents a major shift from traditional testing methods and is expected to speed up the bomber’s entry into service. “Integrating operational and developmental test in the B-21 program exemplifies the acquisition culture we’re instilling throughout the force”, General White said.

“It’s a smarter and faster mindset that leverages modern production and test tools with the proper sense of urgency, urgency that challenges old processes and moves us to a more agile acquisition system. In the case of the Raider, it means we’re now that much closer to placing asymmetric lethality into the hands of the warfighter,” he added.

The Air Force said the arrival of a second B-21 aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base last summer enabled the Raider Combined Test Force to move beyond initial flight performance assessments and begin mission systems and weapons integration testing.

Developed by Northrop Grumman, the B-21 Raider is the US Air Force’s sixth-generation stealth bomber designed for long-range conventional and nuclear strike missions in heavily contested environments. It is expected to gradually replace the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers and serve as the air-based leg of the United States’ nuclear triad.

The aircraft features advanced stealth technology, an open-systems architecture and the ability to carry a wide range of conventional and nuclear weapons. The Air Force plans to acquire at least 100 B-21 bombers, which are expected to form the backbone of the future US bomber fleet alongside the B-52 Stratofortress.

The Sentinel programme, another capability highlighted by White, is the Air Force’s next-generation ICBM system that will replace the Minuteman III missile, which has remained in service for more than 50 years. The programme includes a new missile, upgraded command, control and communications systems, and extensive infrastructure modernisation across five US states. Designed to remain operational through 2075, Sentinel will form the land-based leg of America’s nuclear triad.

White also highlighted the F-47, the Air Force’s sixth-generation air superiority fighter being developed under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme. Built by Boeing, the aircraft is intended to replace the F-22 Raptor and operate alongside Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones in highly contested environments.

According to the Air Force, the F-47 will feature a combat radius exceeding 1,000 nautical miles, speeds above Mach 2 and enhanced stealth capabilities. The service plans to procure more than 185 aircraft as part of its effort to maintain air superiority against emerging threats.

White used the occasion to stress the need for faster execution of key defence programmes while warning against excessive bureaucracy. He said his focus for the B-21 programme was to ensure adequate resources and prevent administrative procedures from slowing testing efforts. “I’m not going to be reckless and say go faster,” the USAF General said, before asking the testing team: “How can I clear the way?”

He urged personnel involved in the programme to demonstrate what he described as “urgency with purpose, urgency with meaning” and to challenge outdated processes when necessary. “I will do the same,” he said. “And we at the Pentagon will operate with the same urgency we’re asking of you.”

When asked what concerned him most, the USAF General said, “I worry that we don’t embrace urgency. I worry that talk is cheap. I worry about the courage to challenge leaders.”

General White, during his remarks, also praised the personnel working on the programme and expressed confidence in their mission.

“I would not want to place this mission in the hands of anyone else,” he said, adding, “You’re the very best this nation has to offer, and when we unleash you with urgency, founded upon meaning and purpose, then no adversary stands a chance”. (ANI)