| B-21 Raider | |
|---|---|
| |
| B-21 (AF 0001) in flight in 2024 | |
| Role | Stealth strategic bomber |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Northrop Grumman |
| First flight | 10 November 2023 |
| Status | Low rate initial production[1] |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 3[2] |
The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is an American strategic bomber in development for the United States Air Force (USAF) by Northrop Grumman. Part of the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) program, it is to be a stealth intercontinental strategic bomber that can deliver conventional and thermonuclear weapons. Named "Raider" in honor of the Doolittle Raiders of World War II, the B-21 is meant to replace the Rockwell B-1 Lancer and Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit by 2040, and possibly the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress after that.
The Air Force began planning for the B-21 in 2011 and awarded the major development contract in 2015, aiming to have it in service "in the mid-2020s".[3] By 2021, that date had slipped to 2027.[4]
As of 2021[update], many aspects of the B-21 special access program were still highly classified, though some information about various other aspects of the program have been made public since 2015.
The first B-21 aircraft was unveiled at a 2 December 2022 ceremony at Northrop Grumman's production facilities in Palmdale, California. The first flight of a B-21 occurred on 10 November 2023. By September 2024, three airworthy B-21s were involved in program testing.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
lrip_announced_jan_2024was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Three B-21s Participating In Test Program, Northrop Says". Aviation Week. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ Tirpak, John A. (20 May 2022). "B-21 Raider First Flight Now Postponed to 2023". Air & Space Forces. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- ^ D'Urso, Stefano (17 January 2021). "Second B-21 Raider Under Construction As The First One Approaches Roll-Out In Early 2022". theaviationist.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
The new bomber will be ready for service around 2026 or 2027, according to Lt. Gen. James C. Dawkins, Jr., Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration.