Could the B-52J fly another ten years and reinvent itself?
You probably know the B-52 for its intense bombing campaigns in Vietnam. It was instrumental in the “shock and awe” operations in both wars in Iraq. It is also an important leg of the U.S. nuclear triad.
But the B-52J is going through a modernization period with new engines and radars.
Proponents believe this process will keep it at the top of mind into the 2030s, while critics say this update is too expensive and time-consuming.
Look Out for the B-52J as a Drone Mothership
One way to keep the B-52J relevant is using the platform as a “drone mothership.” It is safe to say that unmanned craft have transformed warfare in Ukraine.
Kamikaze drone swarms have eliminated several hundred Russian tanks and can even be used for anti-personnel efforts, much like a guided hand grenade.
What Is the Collaborative Combat Aircraft?
The United States is working on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) project. This was previously known as the “Loyal Wingman” concept.
The idea is for the CCA to be tethered to an airplane like the F-35 or the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter.
The Collaborative Combat Aircraft is envisioned as an unmanned system that can be controlled by a mothership and used as an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data collection platform. CCAs could be armed with hypersonic missiles and electronic warfare pods. They could also conduct bomb damage assessments, target enemy airplanes, and improve the B-52J’s ability to carry out ground strike missions with either conventional or nuclear weapons.
Multi-mission Mini-Drones
The B-52J would be perfect for this “flying aircraft carrier” role.
Controlling drones could be done by quantum computing and artificial intelligence. CCAs could also be autonomous.
CCAs will be much larger than drone quadcopters, but the B-52J could also release the smaller drones to attack tanks, enemy soldiers, and other ground targets. Meanwhile, the CCA would execute the other significant mission parameters.
After the engine and radar update, the Air Force envisions having 76 active B-52Js. Having all these bombers enabled with the CCA mothership option would not be necessary.
Of course, the more with this capability, the better.
Let’s Reduce the Cost of the CCA
One of the problems with the CCA is cost, and the Air Force is trying to get the price per pound expense down to $1,200 a pound from the usual $4,000 to $5,000 a pound that large recon drones cost. That could mean the CCA may not be as robust and multi-mission capable as supporters would like it to be.
The B-52J, as an “aircraft carrier,” could then focus on deploying smaller and cheaper drones for swarming and loitering munition roles.
Analysts at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies wrote the definitive report on CCAs.
The authors are sure these aircraft can transform the fight in a 21st-century threat environment.
“CCAs could increase the Air Force’s capacity to generate lethal mass for counterair operations. Appropriately equipped CCAs can perform as force multipliers that increase the number of sensors and weapons the Air Force can project into contested battlespaces. CCAs could also extend the sensor and weapon ranges of stealthy crewed aircraft they team with, increasing their lethality and survivability. This will require designing CCAs with enough survivability to ensure they can reach their air-to-air weapons launch points in contested environments,” the authors said.
The Way Forward Will Be Difficult But Exciting
However, the CCAs are costly, and the technology integration will be complex. The Air Force may have to wait for artificial intelligence and quantum computing to mature before the B-52J can become a drone mothership.
The flying aircraft carrier concept is interesting and exciting and shows that the Air Force is thinking about a future drone fleet that will not endanger human pilots.
The strategic mission of the B-52J could use a hand with bomb damage assessment during a nuclear strike.
With a drone, you don’t have to worry about nuclear fall-out that could endanger a human pilot. CCAs could operate in this atomic environment and figure out the efficacy of the nuclear weapon’s targeting.
I’m impressed with CCAs, and you have probably noticed I write about the Loyal Wingman concept regularly as it relates to NGAD. If NGAD is canceled by the new Secretary of Defense and his acquisition chief, then the CCA must be carried by an existing aircraft.
The B-52J will be a good candidate for this mission if CCAs are to thrive in the 2030s when they are expected to be a factor in future warfare.
So, you may see a flying aircraft carrier someday, and the B-52J will be an essential platform for this possibility. It’s nice the Air Force is looking decades ahead.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
