On Sept. 12, the Air Force released half a dozen new photos of the second B-21 bomber to fly, giving observers and aviation enthusiasts another glimpse of the secretive Raider.
B-21 Raider
While former generals, airpower experts, and even the head of U.S. Strategic Command have all endorsed the idea of the service buying more than 100 B-21 bombers, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for plans and programs suggested a formal decision on that front ...
The new B-21 Raider bomber made its second ever confirmed test flight Jan. 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., just over two months after its first flight.
WORLD: B-21 Raider's first flight; Tests begin on T-7A Red Hawk; New cloud-based command and control system.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. unveiled new imagery of the secretive B-21 Raider during his keynote address at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber conference on Sept. 12, the first glimpse of the stealthy bomber in months.
In another step toward first flight, the initial B-21 Raider has had its first “power-on” test, Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden announced. The company still expects first flight—and a contract for low-rate initial production—by the end of 2023, she said in the company's second quarter ...
A detailed guide to the aircraft, aerial target systems, weapons systems, and satellite systems in USAF and USSF inventory.
In the months following the reveal of Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider in December, several publications affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party or its People’s Liberation Army published articles downplaying the aircraft’s viability, saying the U.S. cannot afford enough of the bombers to make a difference ...
The Air Force’s B-21 Raider will be the world’s most advanced stealthy bomber when it is fielded later in this decade. For Air Force leaders, the challenge will be to fund the B-21 program to rapidly acquire the inventory it needs to meet operational demands.
At least 20 new airplane programs—including a handful that are variants—are in some stage of planning or development. If sustained, this airplane-building campaign will lower the average age of the fleet, increase its size, and enhance its ability to be upgraded rapidly.
Americans are waking up to the fact that our military is not as ready or as capable as it needs to be. Just two years ago, 62 percent of Americans thought U.S. military strength was “about right” and 25 percent thought it was “not strong ...
