Air Force to honor B-21 Raider with 2026 edition of Air Power Legacy Series

Air Force to honor B-21 Raider with 2026 edition of Air Power Legacy Series

The Air Force football team will honor the B-21 Raider with the 2026 edition of the Air Power Legacy Series uniform. The Falcons will wear the special uniform for the Navy game scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m. MT at Falcon Stadium on the campus of the United States Air Force Academy. The game will be nationally televised on CBS.

Backplates

Preventing conflict by maintaining a force so capable, ready, and credible that no adversary will ever risk war. It is the promise that peace is preserved through unmatched strength and readiness 24/7/365.

Power Projection is the ability to rapidly fly, fight, and deliver decisive airpower anywhere on the globe, anytime, through any contested airspace. It ensures America’s reach has no limits.

Patches

Air Force Global Strike Command provides the Nation with combat-ready forces to conduct strategic deterrence and global strike operations. As the air component of U.S. Strategic Command, AFGSC oversees America’s entire intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) force and strategic bomber fleet including the B-1, B-2, B-52, and the next-generation B-21 Raider, and secures peace through unmatched, long-range strike combat power 24/7/365.

The 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, manages developmental and combined testing for the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber through its 420th Flight Test Squadron.

With headquarters at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, the Air Force Materiel Command is a U.S. Air Force major command created July 1, 1992. AFMC’s core missions include Research and Development; Life Cycle Management; Nuclear Materiel Management; Test and Evaluation; Sustainment and Logistics; and Installation and Mission Support.

Red Towel

Remove before Flight is a safety warning often seen while aircraft are on the ground, typically in the form of a red ribbon, to indicate that a device, such as a protective cover or a pin to prevent the movement of mechanical parts is in place. These items must be removed before flight to make the aircraft fully flight and combat ready.

The models used in the creative assets for this uniform release are not USAFA cadets.

The B-21 Raider

The B-21 Raider will be a penetrating strike stealth bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. The B-21 will form the backbone of the future Air Force bomber force consisting of B-21s and B-52s. Designed to operate in tomorrow’s high-end threat environment, the B-21 will play a critical role in ensuring America’s enduring airpower capability.

The B-21 Raider is named in honor of the historic Doolittle Raiders, U.S. Army Air Force men who are known for their surprise attack against Japan during World War II on April 18, 1942, which forced the Japanese to recall combat forces for home defense, and boosted morale among Americans and U.S. allies abroad. The designation B-21 recognizes the Raider as the first bomber of the 21st century.

On April 18, 1942, 80 men and 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers set off on what some said was an impossible mission, to change the course of World War II. The actions of these 80 volunteers, led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, were instrumental in shifting momentum in the Pacific theater and setting the stage for victory at the Battle of Midway. These men, dubbed the Doolittle Raiders, launched 16 B-25s off the flight deck of the USS Hornet, despite the plane not being designed for carrier operations. The raid acted as a catalyst to many future innovations in U.S. air superiority from land or sea. That bold, innovative and courageous spirit of the Doolittle Raiders has been the inspiration behind the name of America’s next generation bomber, the B-21 Raider, in development now by the U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman.

Air Power Legacy Series History

The Air Power Legacy Series began in the 2016 season with the football team wearing an alternate uniform to celebrate the Tiger Shark teeth nose-art which has been represented on multiple Air Force aircraft dating back to World War II. The helmets worn for the game featured a shark-teeth design like those painted on the aircraft.

While 2016 focused on the past, the Falcons honored the present, and future, of air power in 2017 with the F-35 theme. The F-35 completed its first flight in 2006. In 2012, the F-35 program increased to 30 aircraft. In 2016, the F-35A was declared combat ready by Gen. Hawk Carlisle, class of 1978, the commander of the Air Combat Command. The helmet had five different designs. On one side of every helmet will be the familiar Air Force logo often seen on aircraft, which includes the length-wise bars intersecting the roundel. On the other side was a decal representing one of the five Air Force F-35-A operational fighter squadrons in the Air Force.

The team honored the AC-130 in 2018. The helmet featured the AC-130 on one side, plus squadron patches on the other. The AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of anti-ground oriented weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and fire-control systems. Unlike other military fixed-wing aircraft, the AC-130 relies on visual targeting. Because its large profile and low operating altitudes (around 7,000 ft) make it an easy target, it usually flies close air support missions at night.

Air Force honored the C-17, a large military transport in 2019. The C-17 commonly performs tactical and strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world; additional roles include medical evacuation and airdrop duties. The C-17 is designed to operate from runways as short as 3,500 ft (1,100 m) and as narrow as 90 ft (27 m).

The Falcons honored the Tuskegee Airmen with the 2020 edition. The uniform was gray with black lettering. The chrome base gray helmet featured the P-51 aircraft flown by the Tuskegee Airmen in combat with signature red tails and nose that helped identify the group. The helmet featured the four squadron emblems for the 99th, 100th, 301st and 302nd fighter squadrons. The pants featured an authentic stenciled information graphic on the side. The custom nameplate on the jersey said Red Tails, inspired by hand-lettered names painted on the side of the P-51 aircraft.

The 2021 edition honored the B-52 Stratofortress. The helmet was designed after the B-52 that flew in Operation Linebacker II. The Strategic Air Command adorned the right check of the uniform while the name plate used the orange outline with airport codes for Anderson AFB, U Tapo and the 7th Bomber Wing patch to represent all former B-52 unites. The left pant leg featured 11 B-52 plane silhouettes representing the 11 days of bombing during the conflict. The right side pant leg had the tail flash of the plane and the number on each player’s pant leg matches their uniform number for the first time in the history of the series.

The 2022 edition honored the Space Force, which the U.S. Air Force Academy sends about 100 graduates to each year. The helmet featured the lightning bolt with a shared image between the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, representing dominance, quick strike and precision. The jersey featured U.S. Space Force base patches on the left shoulder and a tonal United States flag on the right sleeve. The unit patches feature Space Base Delta 1 headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base and Space Base Delta 2 headquartered at Buckley Space Force Bases. The pants had a pair of blue vertical stripes with USSF down the middle in gray.

In 2023, Air Force honored the Doolittle Raiders, who were 80 pilots and crew of the 16 B-25B Mitchell bombers who launched the Doolittle Raid, April 18, 1942. Led by Army Air Force Lt. Col. James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle, the Raiders bombed selected targets in the Japanese capital of Tokyo and other military locations on the Japanese homeland.

The 2024 edition honored Air Special Operation Command. Air Force Special Operations Command, headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. AFSOC is also the service’s component to United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), a unified combatant command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. AFSOC provides all Air Force Special Operations Forces (SOF) for worldwide deployment and assignment to regional unified combatant commands.

The 2025 edition honored the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations. The F-16 can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. In an air-to-surface role, the F-16 can fly more than 500 miles (860 kilometers), deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point.