Gen. Robin Rand said on Monday that he thinks “Raider” is an aircraft name “that will stick.”
If it does, it’ll be one among very few Air Force programs in which that’s true.
“I think it’s a name that will stick,” Rand, the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, said at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber conference. “I think people will actually call it the Raider.”
The name of the new B-21 long range strike-bomber was announced on Monday by retired Lt. Col. Richard Cole, the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders.
Looking through the Air Force’s portfolio, most aircraft are rarely referenced by lawmakers, airmen, industry and the general public by the name officially bestowed by the service.
For example, the Spirit, Eagle, Fighting Falcon and Lightning II are more commonly called the B-2, F-15, F-16 and F-35.
The Air Force’s unmanned aircraft, however, are more known by their given names. The Global Hawk and Reaper are much more common names than their official designations, the RQ-4 and the MQ-9B.
Another example where the name is actually used is the CV-22B, more commonly known as the Osprey.
