Air Force Will Announce B-21 Name at AFA in September

WASHINGTON — The US Air Force will announce the name of the next-generation B-21 bomber during the Air Force Association's annual conference in September, the service said Tuesday.

Active, Guard, Reserve and civilian airmen submitted more than 4,600 possible names as part of the contest announced by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James during AFA's Air Warfare Symposium in February, and Air Force Global Strike Command leadership narrowed down the list to 15 options, according to the May 10 announcement.

James and the Air Force chief of staff will spend the next few months selecting the winner.

"We received an overwhelming number of nominations, which to me is a testament to how invested our Airmen are in the future of their Air Force," James said. "Thank you to everyone who submitted, and we're looking forward to announcing the B-21's name in the fall."

Email: lseligman@defensenews.com

Twitter: @laraseligman

More In Air Warfare

Space Operations Command preps for new shared domain awareness tool

The remaining ATLAS software is slated for delivery in the first quarter of 2025.

New US Space Force jammers aim to disrupt China’s SATCOM signals

The Remote Modular Terminals, which disrupt adversary satellites by "yelling in their ear," as one official put it, are cleared for initial fielding,

Space Force must grow to counter China and Russia, lawmaker says

House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said the service is not sized to meet increasing threats from China and Russia.

SpaceX launches rapid response GPS mission

The effort, dubbed Rapid Response Trailblazer, was meant to demonstrate the ability to quickly plan and launch a mission in around six months.

Space Command strategy aims to boost commercial role in operations

The updated strategy, approved in November, focuses on SPACECOM’s core tasks and how commercial space capabilities fit within those areas.