The US Air Force has released new photos of the B-21 Raider, a nuclear-capable stealth bomber currently undergoing testing.
The new photos show a B-21 undergoing flight and taxiing tests, as well as a rarely seen head-on view of the new plane stored in a hangar at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The plane is on track to meet its scheduled delivery date to replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers in the mid-2020s, according to Andrew Hunter, the Air Force undersecretary for acquisition. He told Congress this month that the test program is “progressing well.”
Pentagon approves construction of nuclear-capable stealth bomber: report
A B-21 Raider at Edwards Air Force Base, California. (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
“This serves the purpose of our flight test program and helps us learn about the unique characteristics of this platform, but in a very effective way,” Hunter said.
According to an Air Force press release, the B-21 will be a long-range, “highly survivable” stealth bomber that “will play a key role in supporting national security objectives and ensuring the safety of U.S. allies and partners around the world.”
U.S. Air Force unveils new photos of B-21 Raider at Colorado symposium
A B-21 Raider lands at Edwards Air Force Base, California. (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
The Air Force is partnering with Northrop Grumman to build the aircraft, with the goal of producing at least 100 for introduction in the mid-2020s.
The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (AFRCO), which manages the B-21 procurement program, said in a statement that the test aircraft is being built “as close to a production aircraft as possible,” marking a departure from the usual flying prototype approach and allowing the Air Force to meet production schedules more quickly.
The B-21 Raider undergoes testing at Edwards Air Force Base, California. (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
Click here to get the FOX News app
The B-21s will begin operations at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, which is planned as the first major operating base for the new aircraft and will be home to a formal training unit. Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, are the preferred destinations to receive the remaining B-21s as they become available.
