According to the U.S. Air Force, its second B-21 Raider nuclear bomber recently completed its first flight. This is the second of 100 planned deployments of this type of aircraft, which took off from Northrop Grumman's Palmdale, California, plant at 8 a.m. on September 11.
This first flight is less than two years away from the first B-21 flight that also took place there on November 10, 2023, showing that the US military has significantly accelerated the test flight process of this aircraft type. The B-21 will serve together with the existing B-1B, B-2 and B-52 series bombers, and will gradually replace these existing models in the future and become the main model of the US aerial nuclear deterrent force.
During the test flight, the bomber, which uses high-tech stealth technology, took off from Palmdale, flew to Edwards Air Force Base in California, and landed in front of many media and guests. The Air Force said the addition of the second B-21 will advance the flight test program from basic flight performance testing to comprehensive testing, maintainability training, and verification of mission-critical systems and weapons integration.
The official name of the B-21 "Raider" is the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B). The project was established in 2011 to replace the aging heavy bomber fleet in the United States. It has the ability to deliver nuclear weapons and conventional munitions, and has more advanced stealth performance without the need for expensive and special maintenance facilities, overcoming the B-2's vulnerability to limitations.
The aircraft adopts a flying-wing layout with a wingspan of 40.2 meters. Its volume is slightly smaller than the B-2, but it can carry up to 9,072 kilograms of ammunition. It has a cruising speed of over Mach 0.8 and an intercontinental range, enabling it to strike global targets from the United States. Power is provided by two Pratt & Whitney PW9000 non-afterburning turbofan engines.
The B-21 attaches great importance to radar stealth. The lines of the entire aircraft are designed to effectively disperse radar waves. The belly bomb bay is a small number of large flat areas. In addition, the aircraft is equipped with an artificial intelligence flight control system to achieve autonomous or optional pilot control of specific tasks.
The expected service time of this model is still confidential. According to industry speculation, it may be installed as early as 2027. The first operational squadron will be based at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, and will be subsequently assigned to Whiteman Base in Missouri and Dyes Base in Texas. The cost of each aircraft is as high as US$69.2 million in 2022.
Gen. David Alvin, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, said: "The addition of the second B-21 accelerates the pace of forward deployment. The participation of more airframes in the test will allow us to provide this capability to the warfighter faster, demonstrating the urgency and determination of our modernization. The B-21 project is the cornerstone of the U.S. strategic nuclear modernization. By simultaneously advancing testing, support readiness and infrastructure investment, it demonstrates our commitment to continue to provide unparalleled combat capabilities to deal with future threats."