Second Next-Generation Bomber Delivered to Air Force for Testing
The second B-21 Raider expands testing at Edwards Air Force Base to include advanced mission systems and weapons integration, accelerating development and sustainment training.
- Last week, the U.S. Air Force received its second B-21 Raider test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base in California, adding it to the ongoing flight testing program.
- This delivery follows the Raider's formal unveiling in December 2022 and the first flight photos released in May 2024, advancing the bomber's development.
- The second B-21 allows the Air Force to advance from initial flight performance evaluations to comprehensive testing of its mission capabilities and weapon systems.
- Air Force Secretary Meink stated that adding the second B-21 significantly advances the flight testing process, enhancing efforts to strengthen strategic deterrence.
- The program plans to field about 100 B-21s to replace aging bombers, while infrastructure upgrades proceed at bases like Ellsworth AFB, the first to host operational B-21s.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Second B-21 stealth bomber arrives at Edwards AFB as flight testing ramps up
Airmen with the 912th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prepare to recover the second B-21 Raider to arrive for test and evaluation at Edwards Air Force Base, (Photo courtesy of the Air Force) The second B-21 Raider arrived at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert earlier this month as flight testing of the stealthy, flying-wing bomber ramps up, the Air Force announced. Northrop Grumman is building a fleet of 100 of the new aircraft — the nati…
Second B-21 Raider test aircraft breaks cover
The U.S. Air Force has confirmed the arrival of a second B-21 Raider test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, California. According to the U.S. Air Force, the addition of a second airframe expands the scope of testing beyond basic flight performance checks to include mission systems and weapons integration trials. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said: “With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial m…
Second B-21 Raider starts test flights in California
Air Force Shows Off Second B-21 in New Images
The Air Force released half a dozen new photos of the second B-21 bomber to fly Sept. 12, giving observers and aviation enthusiasts another glimpse of the secretive and hotly anticipated Raider. The photos, showing the new tail taking off from Palmdale, Calif., and landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., are relatively low-resolution but show off the aircraft’s distinctive delta shape, unusual cockpit windows, tall, triangular doors on its u…
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