The unveiling of the new B-21 Raider nuclear stealth bomber has led to questions about its capabilities and when the aircraft will be available for U.S. military use.
Footage of the first flight made by the bomber, developed by Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Air Force, was unveiled on Friday and showed the outside of an aircraft manufacturing plant in Palmdale, California. The Raider was introduced to the public less than a year ago and made its first test flight less than a month after it was seen carrying out taxi tests on a runway.
"As confirmed by the U.S. Air Force, the B-21 Raider is in flight test," a spokesperson for Northrop Grumman told Newsweek. "The robust flight test campaign is being executed by a combined test force comprised of Northrop Grumman and Air Force personnel that will validate our digital models and moves us another step closer to reaching operational capability."
The Department of Defense (DOD) and the Air Force say that the dual-capable stealth bomber can carry conventional and nuclear munitions, with the "stealth" aspect vital as its clandestine ability to stay "invisible" will help to be able to penetrate air defenses and reach targets worldwide that roughly 90 percent of current U.S. bombers are incapable of doing.
"Designed to operate in tomorrow's high-end threat environment, the B-21 will play a critical role in ensuring America's enduring airpower capability," according to the Air Force and DOD.
Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said the current flight tests are critical to provide "survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies and partners," according to Defense News on Friday.
Newsweek reached out to the Air Force and DOD via email for further comment.
B-21 Origins and Development
The Raider is being developed to replace the Air Force's aging bomber fleet and will be the world's first sixth-generation aircraft to reach the skies. It will also be the first new bomber in more than three decades.
Northrop Grumman said the Raider's name was chosen in 2016 from over 2,000 submissions, as an ode to Lieutenant Colonel Dick Cole—the last surviving airman of the Doolitte Raiders whose surprise attack on Japan on April 18, 1942, during World War II caused the Japanese to recall combat forces for home defense and provided a morale boost for Americans and allies abroad.
After the company, which is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, secured its contract in 2015, more than 8,000 personnel from the manufacturer, partners and the Air Force have worked on the project, in addition to over 400 suppliers across 40 states.
Described by Northrop Grumman as "the next evolution" of the U.S. bomber fleet, the B-21 has been designed for long-range use and its construction is said to make the aircraft "highly survivable" while acting as a nuclear deterrent.
The technology of the new bomber will also pay long-term dividends. Due to its design in a new technological era compared with the current fleet, the aircraft should be less costly to maintain while software upgrades will make improvements and advancements—such as networking capabilities and successful cloud migration—quicker and easier.
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Jeffrey Fischer told Newsweek via Signal on Monday that the fleet's current bombers are aging fast. The B-52 bomber is closing in on a century of flying while the B-2 is showing its age after being developed in 1987.
"While that may not seem too old, the technology associated with evading radar is a challenge to maintain," Fischer said.
The difference in price becomes more significant when considering that the B-2 cost over $1 billion per aircraft when inflation of the past four decades is considered, he added.
In a War College podcast, combat strategist and retired Air Force Lieutenant General David Deptula said, "The B-21 will provide the kind of payload, range and penetrability that our current force of B-1s, B-52s and, to a small degree, B-2s, cannot accomplish."
Each bomber is projected to cost approximately $550 million each in 2010 dollars, or about $750 million in today's inflation-adjusted dollars, according to Reuters on Friday, though the Air Force has kept costs classified. The B-1 and B-2 bombers being faded out of the fleet cost about $60,000 and $65,000 per hour, respectively, to operate.
When B-21s Will Join the Fleet
The Air Force reportedly has plans to acquire at least 100 Raider aircraft, though some analysts have opined that at least double that amount should be purchased.
Bases that may be home to the future bombers include Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota; Dyess Air Force Base in Texas; and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
The first bomber deliveries are said to be expected in the mid-2020s, though no exact date was provided by the DOD or Northrop Grumman—the latter of which said "it will undoubtedly support thousands of direct and indirect jobs across the country," but could not be specific due to the craft's classified designation.
Update 11/13/23, 10:51 a.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Fischer.
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Nick Mordowanec is a Newsweek reporter based in Michigan. His focus is reporting on Ukraine and Russia, along with social ... Read more
