The new US bomber, Northrop Grumman's B-21 Rider, could have air-to-air combat capability.
The information was through the article of the magazine Air Force Magazine, the director of Air and Cybernetic Operations of the Air Forces of the Pacific, General Scott L. Pleus, confirmed that the bombers of the next generation will have new resources of self-defense during the flight.
Maj. Gen. Scott L. Pleus detailed new equipment and new concepts to sustain Air Force air superiority for decades to come, adding that "a B-21 that also has air-to-air capabilities".
This means that the aircraft will have self-defense capabilities. However, the main feature of the aircraft will be bombing. And that air-to-air capability shouldn't prevent other aircraft from escorting the B-21 Rider.
The B-21 Rider will replace current aircraft in the USAF bomber scene, such as the B-1 and B-2 Spirit. The first B-21 aircraft could make its maiden flight in 2021, thus marking a new chapter within North American military aviation.
Source: Defense Blog / Edition: Aeroflap
