The US B-21 bomber, which is currently being produced by the US Air Force, will not only have the capability to carpet bomb enemy positions, but also be the base for a number of drones which can be controlled during missions.
This capability was revealed by US Secretary of State Frank Kendall in an interview with Bloomberg. Currently, at least five B-21 bombers are in their final stages of assembly.
These “new features” for the B-21 Raider will allow the stealth bomber to be a “command post” for UAVs. This will be “a new way to cause the enemy a headache,” said Frank Kendall.
While the drones will occupy “valuable place inside the bomber”, they can also be launched from bases from the ground and will have the capability to communicate with the bomber in the air.
The B-21 will act as a “quarterback that controls unmanned systems” and will generally have more capabilities to carry out a combat mission thanks to drones that can perform not only reconnaissance functions, but have attack roles as well since they can be equipped with weapons.
At this juncture, it is good to note that the United States is said to unveil its spy drone RQ-180 “White Bat”.
According to sources, the RQ-180 “White Bat” is presumably a US spy drone in the high altitudes and long-endurance (HALE) category. Sources say the “White Bat” has performed at least three “test flights” over Nevada, California and, and the Philippines.
While in the past many media outlets have speculated on the physical shape of the spy drone, the U.S. military said, it will unveil the drone “in the near future”.
As per a report in Aviation Week, the US Air Force is training personnel to become future operators of the spy drone.
While it is impossible to predict when Washington will openly comment on the “white bat,” military sources say it could be during the unveiling of the B-21 Raider since the two programs are linked.
