The Department of Defense revealed the B-21 Raider, a highly anticipated strategic bomber, which marked a major milestone in modern military aviation. The unveiling ceremony took place at Northrop Grumman’s production facility in Palmdale, California, and this bomber will be set as a new backbone for the bomber fleet of the U.S. Air Force.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III emphasized the significance of the aircraft: The B-21 Raider is a testament to America’s enduring advantages in ingenuity and innovation. And it’s a testament to the unrivaled skills of our world-class workforce. This bomber will fortify America’s ability to deter aggression today and tomorrow and assure the security of our allies and partners. The B-21 was designed as a multirole bomber, meant to serve as a valuable asset within a family of systems, with the ability to conduct missions such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, electronic attack, and communications.
To be detected, the design of the B-21 Raider features advanced stealth technology. “Fifty years of advances in low-observable technology have gone into this aircraft,” Austin highlighted how such a bomber can dodge even the most sophisticated air defense systems. It will offer an unrivaled range, the option to hold any target at risk without in-theater basing or extensive logistical support.
What sets the B-21 Raider apart, however, is its maintainability. Austin said the bomber was designed to be the most maintainable bomber ever built so that it could always be ready to deploy. Its open-system architecture allows for rapid upgrades, meaning that it can evolve with emerging threats, adding in the capability to integrate new weapons and technologies as they are developed.
The B-21 Raider is much more than an aircraft; indeed, it is a dual-capable, penetrating-strike stealth bomber designed to deliver both conventional and nuclear munitions. It has been designed to support joint and coalition forces across the full spectrum of operations.
Development of the B-21 Raider began in 2015 when the Air Force awarded the engineering and manufacturing development contract to Northrop Grumman. The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 of the aircraft. The “B-21” designation demonstrates it is a new bomber for the 21st century, and the name “Raider” pays homage to the Doolittle Raiders.
The recent B-21 Raider roll-out is an event without precedent not only for the Air Force but also in the annals of the nation. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., said the new bomber would provide powerful combat capability with effects in highly contested environments. That’s all part of the greater Air Force blueprint for long-range strike-mission modernization: bring advanced communications and next-generation sensors into that weapons mix to deter adversaries and prevail in combat.
After the unveiling, a combined team from the Air Force Test Center, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, and Northrop Grumman will conduct a series of testing of the B-21 program. This will help in establishing the performance of the bomber and identify points for improvement.
This program has taken a truly modern approach, and that decision to make the flight test aircraft production representative is already paying dividends as the program marches toward its first flight, said Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.
The B-21 Raider is the product of deep collaboration between America’s military and Northrop Grumman and testifies to the best of America’s industrial base. This sort of teamwork will ensure that as threats evolve, the B-21 keeps pace and continues to be effective, a testimonial to America’s commitment to the defense of her interests and the strategic deterrence that keeps her ahead.