The Next B-2...Looks exactly like the B-2

        Three days ago, the U.S. Air Force released the first image of its B-21, the supplement to the tiny B-2 fleet already in service. Formerly known as the Long Range Strike Bomber, or LRS-B, the new, Northrop Grumman designed plane is now the B-21. If that sounds at all familiar, it’s because America’s last brand-new shiny Northrop Grumman designed bomber was the B-2 Spirit. With the shroud lifted off the new bomber, we can see that the B-21 looks...almost exactly like its predecessor.

                                   B-21                                                                          B-2

As I mentioned before, the B-2 fleet is tiny. Alas, the B-2 Spirit was a victim of its time: a highly advanced bomber that entered service right as the Cold War ended. As American security concerns switched from fears of Russian attack to worries about the side effects of Russian economic implosion, a top-of-the-line stealth bomber became the easiest fat to cut off the Pentagon’s budget. After just 21 planes were delivered, the program ended, leaving America with a super-fancy flying machine to show off at parades. Oh well. So, the B-21 will pick up where the B-2 left off, making it the B-2 the "iPhone 5S of bombers" (if Apple only came out with a new iPhone every 25 years). According to the USAF press desk, "designation B-21 recognizes the LRS-B as the first bomber of the 21st century," and is not a reference to the just 21 B-2s that were made. Again, it will supplement the tiny B-2 fleet, and replace the ancient B-52s still used by the Air Force today, as well as the older B-1 bombers. People have speculated a lot on the kind of tech the bomber will have, as well as whether it will be unmanned or not. In late 2014, Popular Science spoke with a senior defense official at the Pentagon involved in the program, who insisted that, when carrying a nuclear weapon, the bomber will have a human crew on board. The B-21’s Ace Combat 2-style concept art seems to confirm that, with windows visible on the plane. This matches the ad Northrop Grumman aired during the Super Bowl this year, which put cockpits for human pilots on their future fighters.
In a previous post I talked about the future of America's air force and had a paragraph on the SR-72. I want to make sure that people do not confuse the two, as the B-21 will not be capable of the speeds the SR-72 will be flying at.

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