U.S. Air Force Studies Air-to-Air Bomber Roles to Add Missile Capacity Alongside Its Fighter Fleet.

The U.S. Air Force is studying air-to-air capabilities for its bombers to complement its fighter force. The B-21 Raider has a particular place in this discussion: a long-range stealth aircraft could provide additional missiles to an aerial combat formation, particularly in the Pacific, where distance affects the employment of U.S. fighters.

The second B-21 Raider test aircraft departs Palmdale for Edwards Air Force Base on September 11 to expand mission systems and weapons integration testing. (Picture source: US DoD)

The concept would distribute target detection and weapon launches across several aircraft. Forward-positioned fighters or collaborative combat drones would identify targets, while a stealthy missile carrier would conduct some of the engagements. This arrangement could increase the number of missiles available to the formation while drawing on the reach of an aircraft designed for long-range missions.

In an article published on October 21, 2026, Aviation Week reported that the U.S. Air Force’s planning document for its future fighter fleet includes developing air-to-air capabilities on bombers among the options under evaluation. This assessment accompanies a target of 1,509 combat-coded aircraft by 2035, alongside planned acquisitions of F-35As, F-15EXs and F-47s. The report also considers greater reliance on Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

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The connection with the B-21 rests on developments that predate this report. In October 2024, Gen. David Allvin, then Air Force Chief of Staff, left open the possibility of a larger role for the Raider in future U.S. air superiority operations. His remarks came during the reassessment of the Next Generation Air Dominance program. They placed the stealth bomber within a discussion extending beyond its primary conventional and nuclear strike mission.

Air & Space Forces Magazine described a more specific proposal on September 29, 2025. Citing sources familiar with the discussions, it reported that the service was studying a large stealth flying-wing aircraft, potentially derived from the B-21, carrying air-to-air missiles. The concept paired this missile carrier with F-22s, F-35s, F-47s, or collaborative combat drones responsible for detecting and designating targets. This proposed arrangement provides a basis for examining how an aircraft of this type could contribute to aerial combat.

In the Pacific, the potential benefit would be to provide more firing opportunities to forces operating far from their bases. The report linked the concept to a Taiwan scenario, where nearby Chinese bases could support the concentration of large numbers of fighters. A stealth missile carrier could help sustain engagements by forward-positioned U.S. aircraft. The intended mechanism would be to supply additional weapons to the formation, with detection, designation, and launch responsibilities distributed among its participants.

The B-21’s design includes several characteristics relevant to this mission. Its stealth features are intended to support penetration of adversary defenses, while its open systems architecture is designed to facilitate the integration of new equipment. Together, these features provide a basis for studying an air-to-air role for a long-range strike aircraft. Its contribution would depend on the combination of sensors, communications and weapons: carrying missiles represents only one part of the chain required to employ them.

Comparisons with existing bombers should remain tied to fleet renewal. The B-21 is intended to progressively replace the B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit, while the B-52 will remain the other component of the future bomber force. This trajectory makes the Raider relevant to consideration of a lasting additional mission. It also raises a resource-allocation question: assigning aircraft to aerial combat would draw on capacity also needed for strikes against ground targets.

Weapon availability is another central factor. In the September 2025 report, Mark Gunzinger of the Mitchell Institute highlighted the shortage of air-to-air missiles. Adding missile carriers would therefore need to be accompanied by sufficient stocks to use their carrying capacity and sustain engagements over time.

The proposal consequently forms part of a force-structure choice: generating additional aerial combat capacity by combining fighters, drones and large stealth aircraft. The B-21 offers an avenue already explored for this cooperation. Its potential contribution would need to be weighed against the expansion of the bomber fleet and long-range strike requirements, so that adding an air-to-air mission produces a net benefit for the overall U.S. force.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.