The United States Air Force has confirmed the arrival of its second B-21 Raider test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, California, marking a significant step forward in the development of Pentagon's next-generation (Next-Gen) low-cost stealth bomber.
According to the Department of the Air Force, B-21 Raider, a stealth and strategic bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear payloads, was developed in collaboration with Northrop Grumman under the direction of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.
“With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum,” said secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink in a post on X. “We can now expedite critical evaluations of mission systems and weapons capabilities, directly supporting the strategic deterrence and combat effectiveness envisioned for this aircraft,” Meink added.
The aircraft, as part of the B-21 Combined Test Force, flew from Northrop Grumman’s facility at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, and landed at Edwards Air Force base, according to US-based media group Fox News. The flight was conducted under strict operational security, with minimal public disclosure, but officials have now acknowledged the milestone as part of the program’s expanding test campaign.
In contrast to the B-2 Spirit, which had a cost per unit of about $2 billion and with which a fleet number of only 21 could be achieved, the B-21 Raider has been designed with a much lower estimated cost of about $800 million per bomber, and with an open systems architecture to facilitate smooth upgrades of technology over the years.
Although the B-2 Spirit is still in service and was deployed in combat operations against Iranian nuclear facilities in June, the United States Air Force intends to purchase at least 100 B-21s to be used alongside the 76 updated B-52 Stratofortress bombers.
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 "B-21 Raider undergoes intensive trials, set to replace B-2 Spirit")
