The Air Force Might Need a Big Fleet of 145 B-21 Raider Stealth Bombers

The Air Force Might Need a Big Fleet of 145 B-21 Raider Stealth Bombers

Key Points and Summary – The B-21 Raider program cleared a key milestone as a second test aircraft made its first flight on Sept. 11, ferrying from Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale plant to Edwards AFB’s 420th Test Squadron. Unlike the inaugural “Cerberus,” the new jet carries a test boom and cone, signaling a shift from basic flight trials to weapons and mission-systems testing. A second B-21 Raider, the nation’s sixth-generation stealth bomber, joi…

Second B-21 Raider joins test programme to evaluate weapons and mission systems, says Northrop

A Northrop spokesman explained on 19 September that tail No. 1’s primary role is to “validate flight sciences, handling qualities and envelope expansion. With this second test aircraft we move into a more advanced stage of testing: the weapons and mission systems that make the B-21 Raider a stealth bomber.” The company added that the second aircraft carries “an enhanced software package [which] will demonstrate how Northrop Grumman will deliver …

Second B-21 Raider Takes Flight, Escorted by F-16 Fighter Jet

The second B-21 Raider rolled off the Northrop Grumman production line and took to the skies at 8 a.m. on September 11, accompanied by an F-16 escort that stayed close like a bodyguard. This was the moment the program shifted from basic checks on wings and engines to loading up weapons and fine-tuning the systems [...]