New scenes show America’s £585m secretive stealth nuclear bomber taking to the air.
The B-21 Raider was unveiled in December 2022, but the U.S. government has so far been discreet about showing off the cutting-edge aircraft.
In a U.S. Air Force (USAF) release Wednesday (18 Sep), the sleek aircraft is shown taking off at Edwards Air Force Base, California, as it undergoes flight testing – after which a minimum of a hundred will be built.
The B-21 is a dual-capable bomber, able to deliver both conventional and nuclear munitions.
The USAF said: “A B-21 Raider conducts flight testing, which includes ground testing, taxiing, and flying operations in California.
“Flight testing is a critical step in the test campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and 412th Test Wing’s B-21 Combined Test Force (CTF) to provide survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies, and partners.
“The B-21 will be the backbone of the service’s future bomber force, and will possess the range, access and payload to penetrate the most highly-contested threat environments and hold any target around the globe at risk.”
The B-21 weapon system is manufactured under the Air Force’s contract with Northrop Grumman.
In an earlier statement, the USAF said: “It is designed with an open systems architecture, enabling rapid insertion of mature technologies, and allowing the aircraft to remain effective as threats evolve over time.
“The aircraft is expected to enter service in the mid-2020s with a production goal of a minimum of 100 aircraft.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-19 02:15:00
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