USAF Confirms Bombers Could Have A Major Air-To-Air Combat Role

The F-117 is primarily an attack aircraft,[1] so its "F" designation is inconsistent with the Department of Defense system. This inconsistency has been repeatedly employed by the USAF with several of its attack aircraft since the late 1950s, including the Republic F-105 Thunderchief and General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark. A televised documentary quoted project manager Alan Brown as saying that Robert J. Dixon, a four-star USAF general who was the head of Tactical Air Command, felt that the top-notch USAF fighter pilots required to fly the new aircraft were more easily attracted to an aircraft with an "F" designation for fighter, as opposed to a bomber ("B") or attack ("A") designation.[45][46]

B/F-21 Raider?