Luftkrieg im 21. Jahrhundert

[Schneemann]

Es gibt wohl Gedankenspiele, die B-21 bzw. ein Derivat von dieser - ggf. auf Basis des CCA-Konzeptes - als AAM-Raketenträger gegen zu erwartende chinesische Masseneinsätze einzusetzen. U. a. wurde die Idee wohl geboren, weil man annimmt, dass im Falle eines Konfliktes um Taiwan die Chinesen planen, neben ihren modernen, bemannten Mustern, eine Vielzahl von älteren Mustern der 3. Generation unbemannt als Drohnen einzusetzen, um die Raketenbestände der Air Force abzunutzen.

Air Force Contemplating B-21-Like Aircraft for Air-to-Air Combat

The Air Force is studying whether a large flying wing-type stealth aircraft armed with dozens of air-to-air missiles could be an element of its future air superiority force, sources told Air & Space Forces Magazine. The aircraft could be based on the Northrop Grumman B-21, but the concept is at an early stage and other contractors could potentially have a shot at the work due to Northrop’s limited B-21 production capacity. [...]

The Air Force is studying whether a large flying wing-type stealth aircraft armed with dozens of air-to-air missiles could be an element of its future air superiority force, sources told Air & Space Forces Magazine. [...] The official said the missileer concept is being discussed seriously as one way to overcome China’s numerical advantage in a Taiwan scenario. In such a conflict, China, with bases nearby, could put hundreds of fourth- and fifth-generation fighters up over Taiwan without air refueling, while U.S. fighters would be near the end of their range and have limited “shots” to take against the Chinese aircraft. China is also likely to deploy a significant number of old, third-generation aircraft configured as uncrewed drones to “soak up” and potentially exhaust U.S. air-to-air missile stocks in the opening stages of such a conflict, officials said. [...]

The idea of the B-21 as a missileer came up in the late 2000s, when the program’s requirements were being laid out, according to a senior industry analyst who was involved with the project when it was known as the long-range strike bomber, or LRS-B. Air-to-air capability was not added to the B-21’s initial set of requirements, though, because of the very low number of airframes expected to built per year, versus the urgency with which they were considered necessary to start adding to the Air Force’s stealthy bomber fleet. It was also deemed a needless and potentially costly complication at the time, he said.

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-fo...ir-to-air/

Schneemann