The Air Force Wants Your Help Naming Its New B21 Bomber
There's a long history of naming weapons of war. The Army names its classes of tanks after fabled generals Sherman, Patton, Abrams, while the Navybecause it gives a name to each of its warshipshas a litany of nomenclature traditions and guidelines to follow. The Air Force splits the difference. Historically, it has named each kind of warplane it flies the F-15 Eagle fighter, the Q-1 Predator drone. But as they've gotten more costly it also been giving each plane a name. Most 2 billion B-2 Spirit bombers, for example, are also named after states. Many 300 million C-17 Globemaster III cargo planes also carry a Spirit of Your State, City, or Other Military-Themed Word Here name. And then, of course, there are the unofficial, and often more entertaining, nicknames assigned by the airmen who fly and fix them the A-10 attack plane's official nickname is Thunderbolt II, compared to the more beloved, descriptive, and widely-used, Warthog . Well, like parents debating the right name for a soon-to-be-born child, the Air Force is seeking just the right name for its new B-21 bomber. The Air Force plans to spend up to 90 billion on 100 of the Northrop Grumman planes, and hopes to have them operational in about a decade. At nearly 1 billion apiece, it's likely that each warplane will end up with its own individual name, but for now it's just looking for an overall name for this new kind of bomber. It only announced the B-21 designation last week previously, it had been called, gracelessly, the Long-Range Strike Bomber. But instead of buying one of those baby-naming books, the Air Force has opened the gates to its nearly half-million uniformed and civilian personnel for suggestions. Many have been predictable Banshee, Batwing, Grey Owl, Razor, Silence, Vader and Wraith are among those submitted in response to the Air Force's B-21 announcement. Others have been submitted with a wink, including Hindsight, National Debt and Surprise. "I don't know," one commenter wondered. "What are the Chinese calling theirs?", Some are more serious. "Call it The B-21 Justice," one poster recommended. "Our enemies should know that they face justice for their actions, and it's also a reminder to us that our arms should only be borne to promote what is just.", Another commenter came up with a similar, if less politic, name. "Respectfully, I believe it's time to remind this fractious world why America's military has long-range bombers," he wrote. "I humbly suggest the B-21 Executioner.", Feel free to make your own suggestion, even if you don't wear Air Force blue, here.