Pentagon debuts its new stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States’ newest nuclear stealth bomber is making its public debut after years of secret development. The new bomber is part of the Pentagon’s answer to rising concerns over a future conflict with China.

The B-21 Raider gets its name from the 1942 Doolittle Raid over Tokyo and is the first new American bomber aircraft built in more than 30 years.

The plan is for the B-21 to be deployed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.

Almost every aspect of the B-21 Raider program is classified. The Pentagon is providing the public its first glimpse of the Raider at an invitation-only event in Palmdale, California today. It will also be revealed on the U.S. Air Force Facebook page.

Falls Church, Virginia-based Northrop Grumman is building the Raider, which will take its first flight next year.

 

December 2, 2022