At the beginning of March, the Secretary of the American Air Force had confirmed the future of the USAF combat fleet. In addition to a new maintenance of the A-10s, the surprise came from the appearance of two new combat drones: one to accompany the sixth-generation NGAD fighter, the other for the B-21 Raider stealth strategic bomber.
Four-Plus-One: The Future of the USAF
The 4+1 plan is once again confirmed. This plan brings together the combat devices that will equip the USAF by 2030-2035:
- The F-22 which will be modernized (armament, new software, new sensors) to guarantee air superiority while awaiting the arrival of the Next Generation Air Dominance system (NGAD), sixth generation aircraft (the first flight would have been made in September 2020).
- The F-35A as a fifth-generation tactical stealth fighter-bomber, accompanied by the Loyal Wingman drone currently being developed in Australia by Boeing.
- The F-15EX, a fourth-generation aircraft but extensively redesigned to regain increased aerial firepower thanks to its improved capabilities.
- The F-16 which will continue to be modernized and will be used for missions not requiring the use of a stealth aircraft (protection of American territory). The USAF has also recently announced that 608 F-16s will be modernized, for a total of 2.6 billion dollars.
- And in +1, the A-10, whose fleet has just completed a modernization, called suite 10. The latter now gives the pilot the possibility of engaging multiple targets with three different armaments, all in a single pass. The suite 11 would be under development (see the article published on this subject).
Two new drones
During his speech, the Secretary gave details on the NGAD: the device will be piloted but it could be accompanied by a much cheaper, autonomous and unmanned drone. The latter will be able to use a wide range of sensors and weapons, allowing the creation of a “system of systems”.
The USAF is also looking for a drone that can accompany the B-21 Raider. It must absolutely be operationally useful and profitable (purchase and maintenance costs are very important for the existence of this future drone). It will also make it possible to complete the B-21 for functions inaccessible to a bomber which wants to be stealthy: reconnaissance and user of radars (ISR), communication relay, still offensive electronic warfare,… Today there is no no details yet as to the precise capabilities of the drone or its specifications, but it will necessarily be large in size to accompany the B-21 on its missions several thousand kilometers away. The first funds for this new drone will be allocated in 2024.
The latter will therefore act as a force multiplier for the B-21, of which a hundred copies were originally to be developed: in view of the almost non-existent delays in the development and test program of the B-21 Raider, the Secretary thinks it is possible for the USAF to increase the planned fleet of B-21s (when he took office last year, he was already talking about 145 B-21s). Moreover, the first B-21 Raider has just begun its static tests (see the article on this subject).
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