Military
This Is the Newest Stealth Bomber That the US Is Adding to Its Fleet
Tech. Sgt. William OBrien, 94th Airlift Wing photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Published: August 8, 2024 3:49 pm
24/7 Wall St. Insights:
The B-21 Raider is the newest stealth bomber that will enter the U.S. Air Force in the coming years
The Stealth technology incorporated to the B-21 Raider greatly surpasses that of previous generations of stealth aircraft
The United States plans on ordering 100 B-21 Raider stealth bombers
Also: Discover the next Nvidia
The B-21 Raider represents the next generation of stealth bombers to enter the U.S. military. It is primed to replace the aging B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit models. Although it is not scheduled to enter service for some time, the U.S. has made it known that it plans on ordering at least 100 of these stealth bombers. (Everything you need to know about military steatlh technology. )
One of the most important features of the B-21 Raider is its advanced stealth technology. These stealth capabilities are expected to greatly surpass those of the previous generations of stealth bombers. The Raider is specifically designed in such a way that it is nearly invisible to radar systems and on top of that it incorporates materials that further dampen any signal it might give off.
The B-21 Raider is designed for both conventional bombing missions and even nuclear missions if need be. It can deliver a wide range of munitions with anything from precision-guided bombs to long-range stand-off missiles. This flexibility allows the U.S. Air Force to adapt the Raider to various missions, as well as using it as a serious nuclear deterrent. (This is the fastest stealth plane ever: the top 20 ranked. )
24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the B-21 Raider as well as other aircraft that the U.S. military is currently ordering. To identify every aircraft on order for the U.S. military, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ranked these aircraft by how many are on order. We also included supplemental data on the type of aircraft, military branches with aircraft in service, and how many of these aircraft are in active service.
Here is a look at every aircraft on order by the U.S. military:
Why Are We Covering This?
Joris van Boven / Shutterstock.com
Understanding the combat aircraft used by the U.S. Army provides insight into joint military capabilities and defense strategies. Also knowing what the U.S. has in its arsenal further explains its military capabilities.
Rafael Luiz Canossa / Wikimedia Commons
Type: Transport aircraft
Year: 2004
Manufacturer: Cessna
Top speed: 490 mph
Armament: N/A
Aircraft on order: 2
Active aircraft: 10
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Marine Corps
Type: Transport aircraft
Year: 1997
Manufacturer: Bombardier Aerospace
Top speed: 684 mph
Armament: N/A
Aircraft on order: 4
Active aircraft: 7
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force
Type: Electronic warfare aircraft
Year: 2023
Manufacturer: BAe Systems
Top speed: 652 mph
Armament: N/A
Aircraft on order: 9
Active aircraft: 1
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force
Type: Two-seat attack helicopter
Year: 1986
Manufacturer: Boeing / McDonnell Douglas / Hughes
Top speed: 183 mph
Armament: 30mm automatic cannon, Hellfire missiles, Hydra rocket pods, Stinger missiles, Sidewinder missiles, Sidearm missiles
Aircraft on order: 15
Active aircraft: 824
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Army
Sundry Photography / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Type: Early warning and control aircraft
Year: 2014
Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman
Top speed: 404 mph
Armament: N/A
Aircraft on order: 25
Active aircraft: 83
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Navy
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Type: Trainer aircraft
Year: 1936
Manufacturer: North American Aviation
Top speed: 209 mph
Armament: 7.62mm machine guns
Aircraft on order: 29
Active aircraft: 294
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Navy
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Type: Light utility helicopter
Year: 2007
Manufacturer: Eurocopter / Airbus Helicopters
Top speed: 167 mph
Armament: N/A
Aircraft on order: 30
Active aircraft: 391
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Army
Type: Airborne early warning and control aircraft
Year: 2009
Manufacturer: Boeing
Top speed: 593 mph
Armament: N/A
Aircraft on order: 36
Active aircraft: 118
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force, United States Navy
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Type: Aerial tanker / transport aircraft
Year: 1962
Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin
Top speed: 416 mph
Armament: N/A
Aircraft on order: 51
Active aircraft: 338
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps
Type: Medium-lift, tandem rotor transport helicopter
Year: 1962
Manufacturer: Boeing
Top speed: 180 mph
Armament: 7.62mm machine guns
Aircraft on order: 57
Active aircraft: 510
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Army
Type: Special mission aircraft
Year: 1974
Manufacturer: Beechcraft
Top speed: 332 mph
Armament: N/A
Aircraft on order: 66
Active aircraft: 71
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Navy, United States Marine Corps
Type: Tiltrotor VTOL aircraft
Year: 2007
Manufacturer: Boeing
Top speed: 316 mph
Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, 12.7mm machine guns
Aircraft on order: 69
Active aircraft: 367
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Type: Trainer helicopter
Year: 2020
Manufacturer: Leonardo
Top speed: 175 mph
Armament: N/A
Aircraft on order: 71
Active aircraft: 59
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Navy
Mztourist / Wikimedia Commons
Type: Multirole light aircraft
Year: 1990
Manufacturer: Air Tractor
Top speed: 221 mph
Armament: Gun pods, cannon pods, conventional drop bombs
Aircraft on order: 73
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force
Type: Light attack helicopter
Year: 1980
Manufacturer: Hughes / McDonnell Douglas / Boeing
Top speed: 175 mph
Armament: 30mm M230 chaingun, 12.7mm GAU-19 gatling guns, 7.62mm miniguns, M261 rocket pods, Hellfire missiles, TOW anti-tank missiles, Stinger missiles
Aircraft on order: 74
Active aircraft: 47
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Army
Type: Carrier-based strike fighter aircraft
Year: 1999
Manufacturer: Boeing
Top speed: 1187 mph
Armament: 20mm M61A1 Vulcan automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, AMRAAM missiles, Harpoon missiles, HARM missiles, Maverick missiles, joint direct att munitions, Rockeye II bombs, general purpose bombs
Aircraft on order: 76
Active aircraft: 421
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Navy
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Type: Medium-lift helicopter
Year: 2021
Manufacturer: Boeing / Leonardo
Top speed: 202 mph
Armament: Pintle-mounted machine guns as needed
Aircraft on order: 78
Active aircraft: 4
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force
my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
Type: Aerial tanker aircraft
Year: 2019
Manufacturer: Boeing
Top speed: 569 mph
Armament: N/A
Aircraft on order: 99
Active aircraft: 72
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force
Type: Long range strategic stealth bomber
Year: Expected 2028
Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman
Top speed: 621 mph
Armament: Conventional drop bombs, precision-guided bombs, nuclear-tipped bombs/missiles
Aircraft on order: 100
Active aircraft: 0
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force
Staff Sgt. Tony R. Tolley, U.S. Air Force / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Type: Air superiority fighter aircraft
Year: 1976
Manufacturer: Boeing
Top speed: 1875 mph
Armament: 20mm M61A1 automatic cannon, Sidewinder missiles, Sparrow missiles, Maverick missiles, HARM missiles, laser-guided bombs, joint direct attack munitions, cluster bombs, nuclear bombs
Aircraft on order: 102
Active aircraft: 377
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force
Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
Year: 2018
Manufacturer: Sikorsky
Top speed: 196 mph
Armament: 12.7mm heavy machine guns, 12.7mm GAU-21 miniguns
Aircraft on order: 193
Active aircraft: 11
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Marine Corps
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Type: Trainer aircraft
Year: 2023
Manufacturer: Boeing / Saab
Top speed: 808 mph
Armament: N/A
Aircraft on order: 350
Active aircraft: 1
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force
fikretozk / iStock via Getty Images
Type: Medium-lift multi-mission helicopter
Year: 1979
Manufacturer: Sikorsky
Top speed: 183 mph
Armament: 7.62mm machine guns, Hellfire missiles, 12.7mm gatling guns, M134 gatling guns, rocket pods, 30mm chain gun
Aircraft on order: 455
Active aircraft: 2849
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Navy
Robert Sullivan / Public Domain / Flickr
Type: Multirole fifth generation strike fighter aircraft
Year: 2016
Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin / Northrop Grumman
Top speed: 1,199 mph
Armament: 25mm GAU-12/U cannon in external pod, Sidewinder missiles, Paveway guided bombs, Rockeye II bombs, Brimstone missiles, Storm Shadow missiles, drop bombs
Aircraft on order: 1855
Active aircraft: 376
Military branches with aircraft in service: United States Air Force, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team .