The Department of Defense unveiled its new strategic bomber, the B-21 Raider, in a formal rollout ceremony, marking a significant milestone for the military aviation history book. The bomber, unveiled in Palmdale, California, is the future backbone of the American bomber force, said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.
The B-21 Raider is the first new strategic bomber in more than three decades testament to America’s enduring ingenuity and innovation. Austin emphasized that the aircraft represents the Department’s long-term commitment to developing advanced capabilities to deter aggression. The B-21 is designed to operate within a larger family of systems for conventional long-range strikes including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, electronic attack, and communication capabilities. The B-21 will be nuclear-capable and can be manned and unmanned, in addition to having a broad mix of stand-off and direct-attack munitions.
With dramatic music and lighting showing the silhouette of the B-21 similar to the B-2 Spirit bomber, Austin said in a speech at Northrop Grumman’s hangar: “The B-21 looks imposing, but what’s under the frame and the space-age coatings is even more impressive.” Added Austin: It has an unmatched range of any bomber, which can hold any target at risk without having to be based in-theater or requiring large amounts of logistical support.
The B-21 Raider puts together more than a half-century of advancements in low-observable technology, yielding an aircraft that is hard for adversaries to detect. “Even the most sophisticated air-defense systems will struggle to detect a B-21 in the sky,” Austin said. In addition, it’s designed to be maintainable. It will be ready when called upon. “We don’t really have a capability unless we can maintain it,” he emphasized, adding that the B-21 is designed to be the most maintainable bomber ever built.
The dual-capable penetrating strike stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, can deliver both conventional and nuclear munitions. The designs were made to support the joint and coalition forces across the spectrum of operations-from peace to all-out war-in environments adaptive to evolving threat environments. “The Raider was built with open-system architecture, which makes it highly adaptable,” Austin said. “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.”
Preliminary work on the B-21 Raider began in 2015 when the Air Force awarded the engineering and manufacturing development contract. The Air Force will buy at least 100 B-21s. Designated “B-21,” the aircraft becomes the first new bomber of the 21st century. The name “Raider” reflects the Doolittle Raiders’ heritage-a daring operation during World War II.
Austin summarized by stressing the need for cooperation and investment in the maintenance of the defenses of America. “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.”
The B-21 Raider symbolizes the will of America to stand up for her interests and defend its strategic advantage in the sky.