Officials at the United States Air Force recently released pictures of the B-21 Raider, a nuclear stealth bomber and the first new American bomber aircraft produced in over three decades.
The aircraft has started tests at Edwards Air Force Base in California and “continues to make progress toward becoming the backbone” of the American bomber fleet, according to a press release from the Air Force.
The B-21 was described in the release as “long-range” and “highly survivable,” and will incrementally replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers.
“We are in the flight test program, the flight test program is proceeding well,” Air Force Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Andrew Hunter recently told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “It is 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, very effective way.”
Northrop Grumman, the defense contractor which manufactures the B-21, publicly revealed the existence of the aircraft nearly two years ago. The plane is named the B-21 to denote that the new technology is the first American bomber of the twenty-first century.
“The B-21 Raider is a testament to America’s enduring advantages in ingenuity and innovation,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin previously said about the new aircraft in a statement. “And it’s proof of the Department’s long-term commitment to building advanced capabilities that will fortify America’s ability to deter aggression, today and into the future.”
Air Force officials plan to acquire 100 of the aircraft, some of which will be able to fly without pilots. Hunter told lawmakers that the B-21 is the first aircraft which is “more digital than not.”
Defense officials have increasingly prioritized developing drones in recent years, as well as weapons systems capable of guarding expensive assets from drone attacks.
