B-21 vs B-2 - Which Stealth Fighter is Deadlier

The US has a weapon system that can strike any target with almost any weapon anywhere in the world without being detected by even the best radar systems. The vaunted B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. But despite over thirty years of battle-proven service, the B-2 will not be flying forever. Because of this, the US has been developing its eventual replacement for almost a decade. That replacement, known as the B-21 Raider, will eventually become the Air Force's premier ultra-long-range strike capability. But how exactly do they stack up against one another? Check out today's epic new video to find out.

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[JamesSherrick]

I'm sure someone else already pointed it out, but neither airframe is classified as a "Fighter, " they're both bombers. The B in the names stands for Bomber.

[aceofaces]

One additional theorized improvement of the B-21 over the B-2 that wasn't discussed here is that the B-21 is being designed to be modular, meaning as new advances in individual components come about, it's far easier to install these upgrades into the B-21 without having to dismantle the plane to do so and risk compromising the stealth profile. What the US military has come to realize when it comes to weapons procurement is that the rate of technological advancement is so fast, bordering on exponential, that once the lengthy production time for a prototype aircraft is completed, it's already considered outdated for its inclusion of "older" components that are now obsolete. This is partly what plagues the B-2. The aircraft took so long to develop that, despite being a very advanced and capable aircraft, rapid technological advancement in components made the components used obsolete. Moreover, the cost of upgrading the B-2 to accept these newer components is prohibitively high because it requires completely dismantling the aircraft and reassembling it to ensure the stealth profile is maintained. By designing the B-21 from the ground up to be more easily upgraded with newer components, it vastly improves the upgrade process, ensuring that the B-21 remains on the cutting edge throughout its lifetime, a service life that can be extended further with these upgrades.

Also, having Pratt & Whitney design and produce the engines, and have them basically be very similar to the F-35's engines, makes them easier to mass produce and maintain, thereby reducing the overall price tag by buying core components, such as the engines, in bulk from the manufacturer.

[LordChromeGaming]

I love how the SR-71 Blackbirds idea of stealth was be faster than whatever the enemy shoots at you.

Also thanks for those that also informed me that height also played a role. This year I’ve started watching other channels like Megaprojects to learn more about military stuff. Just fun stuff to learn.

[wreckincrew]

The B21 and B2 are NOT Stealth "Fighters" they are long range Strategic Bombers.

[MarkBarrett]

Notably, the stealth skin coating has always been problematic for durability and maintenance.
The B-21 finally has a practical version.

[robertcraigh]

I remember when the Bomber was first "released" in the 80s. From what I've seen, they've been worth every dime. I sleep better knowing we have them.

[politicsuncensored]

It is amazing that the B-52 is still flying and is still a deadly weapon. Built starting in 1955. The last one produced was 1962. Pilots flying this plane from 2000 on were not even born by the time the last one was produced~! Hopefully we will get to see the B-21 Raider at some point in the near future. Shalom

[justinpaul]

Earlier this year, I ended up meeting an engineer from Northrup Gruman.

I had everything I could do to not ask him a million questions that he wouldn't answer about the B-21...and he knew it🤣

I did get this: it's not sporting a ceramic RAM and it's at least 50 years ahead of anything else flying.

[codytisdale]

I knew the B-2 was impressive, but I never thought about EVERYTHING that went into its design. Like reducing the heat signature from the exhaust. Absolutely brilliant. And that's just the stuff we know about, I can't imagine what else they implemented into this aircraft

[canadianoperator]

JDAMs (GBU - Guided Bomb Units) can be guided not just by GPS, but also by Laser. The aircraft can lase its own target, another aircraft's target, or, a JTAC on the ground can also lase for an aircraft dropping the laser guided variants.

[davemac]

The B-21 is meant to be a lot cheaper to operate, quicker turn around, need less costly repairs, and likely double-triple the capacity of the US stealth bombing. They shifted money from a non-stealth B1 lancer program to the B21 program besides wanting to retire the expensive B2 from some uses at some point. The B21 may not have to replace everything the B2 does though. We can speculate all we want on B21 but there was probably a push towards it being more multi-use with a smaller operation footprint than by B2. I would think lessons learned from JSF and F22 are applied to B21.

[krisfrederick]

The SR-71 Blackbird is still the most impressive aircraft in history. The X-Men used it for a reason. The F-22 is the most beautiful aircraft in history. And the B-2 is the most visually striking in history

[RedGuardian]

It's interesting how the ufo phenomena and advances in military aircraft have often become parallel lines. Especially with unconfirmed projects like Aurora and Darkstar

[Ryuondo]

I haven't noticed any comment piping up on this, but the LRASM is a sub-sonic stealth missile. We decided that speed and saturation weren't the only things that could defeat fleet AA and AM counter measures.

[Mattmanwow]

I was a backshop avionics tech for the B-1b and stationed at Ellsworth AFB between 2017 and 2022. I remember around that time they were mentioning how some people got arrested for taking pictures of the B-2 when it was new for some reason. lol, I had no idea we were temporarily holding the B-21. We knew for years that the B-21 would replace the B1b though, we just didn't know when.

[Dr.Know_U]

I was a senior designer on the B-2. Virtually every upgrade and design improvement which I wanted for the B2 is on this one. I have high hopes for it.

[christyl]

I’m not sure how I got here, I’ve always been fascinated with our country’s advanced military forces. I am proud to be an American and watching this makes me wish I could be a part of the patriotism.

I have been a first responder for over 12 years, before I became a firefighter I considered military. It certainly takes drive and guts to advance through the ranks and make history in this manner. Thank you to the men and women who tirelessly work to advance our country’s safety. When many of our citizens are ungrateful and even destructive.

[itisi]

Came to this video from a news article, congratulations on making it! Been watching your videos for about a year now, and I've learned so much, and been able to keep up with everything in a way I can comprehend. Keep doing great!

[seanharden]

The title says stealth fighter, they are stealth bombers broski

[blacklanner]

I wouldn't be surprised if the actual max speed was over the speed of sound but it's just not used as it's "normal" speed.

The ability to sacrifice stealth for speed is something you always want to be capable of for when you actually need it to catch an enemy off guard.