The B-21 Raider may feature an unprecedented crew setup, with only one pilot and a weapons systems officer, reflecting the aircraft’s heavy reliance on advanced automation and AI, reports Maya Carlin of The National Interest. According to Air Force leadership, fully operating the next-generation stealth bomber will require a complex mix of airmanship, electronic warfare, sensor management, and real-time battle coordination—signaling that the B-21 is designed for far more than traditional bombing. Though many details remain classified, the Raider is expected to carry both nuclear and conventional weapons, incorporate cutting-edge stealth and open-architecture systems, and play a central role in U.S. deterrence as rivals pursue their own sixth-generation bombers. Carlin writes:
While much surrounding the US Air Force’s upcoming next-generation stealth bomber program remains highly classified, limited divulged information suggests the B-21 Raider could be even more unique than initially predicted. Last month, the head of the US Air Force Global Strike Command recommended that the cockpit of the sixth-generation platform should be filled by a weapons systems officer (WSO). Notably, a WSO is not a pilot but a specialized crew member responsible for operating an aircraft’s weapons, radars, and sensors. The idea that the Raider could only be manned by a single trained pilot in addition to a WSO is certainly unprecedented and indicates artificial intelligence could play a leading role in the platform’s overall design.
“Unleashing the Raider’s full potential demands a complex blend of skills: airmanship, weaponeering, electromagnetic spectrum operations, sensor management, real-time battle management and agile replanning in combat,” Gen. Thomas Bussiere wrote in an August memo, which was addressed to the offices of the Air Force secretary, chief of staff, and the commander of U.S. Strategic Command. “Unleashing the Raider’s full potential demands a complex blend of skills: airmanship, weaponeering, electromagnetic spectrum operations, sensor management, real-time battle management and agile replanning in combat,” Bussiere added. These remarks suggest the B-21 is being designed not only to fulfill a traditional bomber role, but also to serve on the frontlines of electronic warfare, intelligence, battle management, and reconnaissance fronts. […]
The Air Force has indicated that it hopes to procure at least 100 B-21s by the end of the decade. However, some analysts want the service to acquire far more Raiders than that, believing the aircraft is crucial to maintaining operational readiness for potential conflicts with China, Russia, or other adversaries. Both Moscow and Beijing are similarly working to field their own sixth-generation bomber prototypes, namely the PAK-DA and H-20 “Xi’an” respectively. Until the Raider reaches operational capacity with the Air Force, the service will continue to rely on its existing bomber fleet made up of B-2s, B-52s, and B-1s.
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