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USAF needs 200 B-21s, 300 F-47s for War with China
The US Air Force (USAF) needs to significantly increase planned procurements of the F-47 sixth generation fighter and B-21 next generation bomber a new report from USAF Academy Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies says. According to the study (titled ‘Strategic Attack: Maintaining the Air Force’s Capacity to Deny Enemy Sanctuaries’) the two new aircraft aim at attempting to penetrate adversary airspace jointly and fight “from the inside out,” delivering decisive blows against bases and other critical infrastructure deep within the Chinese interior.
The USAF plans to buy “at least” 100 B-21s and 185 F-47s. These numbers can’t sustain pressure in a broader conflict, forming only “a raid force, not a campaign force,” given that they are sufficient only for one-off missions into enemy airspace, Military Watch Magazine reports.
The report says that at least 200 B-21 bombers and around 300 F-47 fighters would be required for a credible sanctuary-denial posture.
These numbers are needed for combat attrition and maintenance cycles as well as for the operational reality that requires that portions of the bomber force must remain dedicated to nuclear deterrence, while fighters are routinely allocated to homeland defense and other standing missions.
USAF needs 200 B-21s, 300 F-47s
The study says that even though it could take a decade or more to build out expanded fleets, Heather Penney, one of the authors noted that, “F-47s operating with B-21s and other aircraft in the Air Force long-range strike family can be [the Pentagon’s] ‘sanctuary denial force. “Two hundred [B-21s] isn’t based off of a full-up World War III scenario, but it does look at what’s the number needed for ‘hold back’ and how do you be credible and effective in denying that sanctuary and hitting those key centres of gravity in China, and also having enough attrition reserve to be able to sustain a protracted conflict?”
Penney continued; “The service’s current combat force mix is now weighted toward earlier-generation non-stealthy bombers and fighters… If not modernised with the right quantities of next-generation stealthy aircraft, this legacy force would have to close thousands of long-range kill chains in hundreds of hours in a peer conflict, a feat that is beyond the Air Force’s current and projected capacity.”
According to Army Recognition, the assessment recommends halting the retirement of the remaining B-2 Spirit bombers and increasing procurement of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II until those numbers can be achieved.
The Raider
The B-21 Raider will be the backbone of the bomber fleet and will incrementally replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers as sufficient numbers of B-21s are available. The state-of-the-art bomber will provide survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and protect the US, allies, and partners.
The Raider is the first new bomber to be introduced since the end of the Cold War. The aircraft is designed with updated stealth qualities and mission flexibility that senior leaders in the Air Force and across the Department of Defense say are necessary to achieve the US goal of achieving integrated deterrence, and if necessary, capabilities required to successfully respond to aggression anywhere in the world at any time.
The B-21 weapon system is manufactured under the Air Force’s contract with Northrop Grumman. It is designed with an open systems architecture, enabling rapid insertion of mature technologies, and allowing the aircraft to remain effective as threats evolve over time. The aircraft is expected to enter service in the mid-2020s with a production goal of a minimum of 100 aircraft.
The Raider will form the backbone of the future Air Force bomber force consisting of B-21s and B-52s. Designed to operate in tomorrow’s high-end threat environment, the B-21 will play a critical role in ensuring America’s enduring airpower capability.
The B-21 Raider will be a component of a larger family of systems for conventional Long Range Strike, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, electronic attack, communication and other capabilities. It will be nuclear capable and designed to accommodate manned or unmanned operations. Additionally, it will be able to employ a broad mix of stand-off and direct-attack munitions.
Next-Generation Air Dominance
USAF’s first F-47 fighter is now being built by Boeing, and the sixth-generation fighter jet is expected to have its initial flight in 2028.
Aimed at replacing the F-22 Raptor fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-47, previously known as Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), it is expected to have state-of-the-art stealth capabilities, weapons and engines and fly with autonomous drone wingmen known as collaborative combat aircraft (CCA).
Although the overall shape and most performance of the aircraft remain secret, the graphic confirmed several basic features of the F-47 such as a top speed over Mach 2 and a combat radius greater than 1,000 nm, greater than that of the Lockheed Martin F-35 (670 nm unrefueled mission radius).
President Donald Trump announced on Mar. 21, 2025 that the contract for the development of the F-47 had been awarded to Boeing.
The F-47 represents a significant advancement over the F-22 and F-35, which is currently the US Air Force’s primary air superiority fighter.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force
