The unveiling of the B-21 Raider, the first new strategic bomber in more than three decades, means the United States has now marked a new era of strategic airpower. Unveiled on December 2 at Northrop Grumman’s production facility in Palmdale, California, the B-21 Raider is the bomber that will form the backbone of America’s bomber force, said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.
Austin emphasized that the B-21 Raider is proof of America’s enduring advantages in ingenuity and innovation. “It’s proof of the department’s long-term commitment to building advanced capabilities that will fortify America’s ability to deter aggression, today and into the future,” he said.
The B-21 Raider is designed to provide the capability within a family of systems for conventional long-range strikes, notably intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, electronic attack, and communication. The aircraft will be nuclear-capable but manned or unmanned, depending upon the scenario. It will be able to employ a wide range of stand-off and direct-attack munitions.
The unveiling event, complete with dramatic music and lighting effects, was held in a hangar to show the silhouette of the B-21, somewhat similar in shape to the B-2 Spirit bomber. However, Austin emphasized that below its frame and space-age coatings is where the real innovations lie. “The range of the B-21 is unmatched by any other bomber,” he said, underlining it will not need to be forward-based or logistically supported to hold any target at risk.
The B-21 Raider is a stealth aircraft that combines the lessons from five decades of low-observable technology development to make any detection by advanced air defense systems extremely difficult. Austin further emphasized that the B-21 is designed to be the most maintainable bomber ever produced, making it ready at a moment’s notice.
The B-21 Raider is a multi-mission dual-capable penetrating strike stealth bomber, capable of both conventional and nuclear munitions delivery. It is designed to support joint and coalition forces across the full spectrum of operations and is adaptable to meet evolving threats. “The Raider was built with open-system architecture, which makes it highly adaptable,” Austin explained. “As the United States continues to innovate, this bomber will be able to defend our country with new weapons that haven’t even been invented yet.”
Created through a deep partnership between Northrop Grumman and stakeholders in the U.S. military, the B-21 Raider represents the best of America’s industrial base. Austin underlined investment, cooperation, and partnership as cardinal factors that helped to achieve such strides. “The Department is going to continue to invest in tech,” he said. “We’re going to bring new companies into our supplier base, and we’re going to keep honing our acquisitions process to get the right capabilities before we need them.”
Development of the B-21 Raider started in 2015, and the Air Force plans to purchase at least 100. The “B-21” designation shows that it is the first new bomber of the 21st century, and the name “Raider” gives honor to the Doolittle Raiders, who performed a surprise attack during World War II.
Reflecting on the legacy of the Doolittle Raiders, Austin said, “This isn’t just another airplane. It’s not just another acquisition. It’s the embodiment of America’s determination to defend the republic that we love. It’s a testament to our strategy of deterrence with the capabilities to back it up, every time and everywhere.”
But with the war drums growing louder around the world, it is unmistakable that the B-21 Raider represents an imperative symbolism in America’s self-declared aim of ensuring a strategic lead and protection for the United States well into the future.