The U.S. Air Force has released a concept image of its next-generation bomber, but is still looking for a cool name for the future aircraft.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James released the artist rendering of the Long Range Strike-Bomber, or LRS-B, which she said will carry the official designation of B-21, on Friday during a speech at the Air Force Association's air warfare symposium in Orlando.
"So we have an image, we have a designation, but here's what we don't yet have, we don't yet have a name," she said. "This is where I am challenging and I'm calling on every airman today, we want our active duty, our National Guard, our Reserve, our civilians, our family members, we'd like all of you to give us your best suggestions for a name for the B-21, America's newest bomber."
A team led by Northrop, maker of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and drone aircraft, in October beat out another led by Boeing Co., the world’s largest aerospace company, and Lockheed Martin Corp., the world’s largest defense contractor, for the $21.4 billion initial contract as part of the LRS-B program.
The Air Force plans to buy a total of 100 of the next-generation bombers at an inflation-adjusted cost of $564 million per plane to replace its aging fleet of B-52 Stratofortresses made by Boeing Co. and a least a portion of its B-1 fleet.
What do you think the new bomber should be called? Here's a sampling from folks weighing in -- in jest -- on Twitter:
%embed1%
%embed3%
And here were a few serious suggestions:
%embed2%
