The US Air Force released new photos of the B-21 Raider, a nuclear-armed stealth bomber currently undergoing testing.
The new photos show the B-21 undergoing tests, including flight tests, as well as a rare front-on view of the new aircraft stored under a hangar at Erdwards Air Force Base in California.
The aircraft, which will replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers in the mid-2020s, is on track to meet the launch timeline, according to Air Force Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Andrew Hunter, who told Congress this month that the testing program is “going well.”
“It’s doing what flight test programs are designed to do, which is helping us learn about the unique characteristics of this platform, but in a very effective way,” Hunter said.
According to an Air Force press release, the B-21 will be a long-range, “survivable” stealth bomber that will “play a major role in supporting national security objectives and providing US allies and partners around the globe.”
The Air Force partnered with Northrop Grumman to build the aircraft, with the goal of producing a minimum of 100 aircraft during the mid-2020s launch timeline.
The Air Force Rapid Capability Office (AFRCO), which is managing the acquisition program for the B-21, said in the release that the test planes were built to be as “production representative” as possible, a break from the typical prototype approach. which will allow the Air Force to meet the production timeline more quickly.
The B-21 is expected to enter service at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, which is slated to be the first major operating base for the new aircraft and will serve as the location of the Formal Training Unit.
Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, are the preferred destinations to receive remaining B-21s as they become available.
