Northrop Grumman(US:NOC) Huan Qiu Wang·2025-09-30 05:30Core Insights - The U.S. Air Force is secretly exploring the feasibility of deploying a large flying-wing stealth aircraft equipped with dozens of air-to-air missiles, potentially based on Northrop Grumman's B-21 bomber, although the concept is still in its early stages [1][3] - This concept involves manned stealth fighters like the F-22, F-35, and F-47, as well as potential unmanned collaborative combat aircraft, which will detect and designate aerial targets for the stealth flying-wing aircraft to strike [3] - The stealth bomber is part of the Air Force's plans to address high-intensity conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region and is intended to complement or even replace new collaborative combat drones [3] Industry Developments - The U.S. is developing various ultra-long-range air-to-air missile projects, with some being classified, including the AIM-260 missile, which has a range exceeding the existing AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile [3] - A B-21-sized aircraft could carry a significant number of AIM-260 missiles and is expected to have the capability to carry oversized air-to-air weapons [3] Internal Opposition - There are opposing views within the U.S. regarding the large weapons library aircraft, with concerns about the limited supply of bombers and their need to target "high-value" objectives [4] - The defense industry currently lacks the capacity to mass-produce air-to-air weapons to rebuild stockpiles, raising questions about the feasibility of such a large-scale deployment [4]