The United States' newest combat plane, the B-21 Raider nuclear bomber, made its first flight this Friday afternoon (10). The aircraft “invisible” to radars and with nuclear capabilities is now beginning the important phase of test flights and is expected to enter service later this decade.
The Raider's first takeoff comes just days after the stealth jet began its taxi tests at Plant 42, a United States Air Force (USAF) installation in Palmdale, California. It was from there that the plane manufactured by Northrop Grumman made its first takeoff. Check it out in the video below.
B-21 RAIDER FIRST FLIGHT 11-10-23 #RAIDER33 #B21Raider pic.twitter.com/3tEKudqDiw
- Matt Hartman (@ShorealoneFilms) November 10, 2023
B-21 Raider with Edwards AFB F-16 flying chase departing Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, CA this morning 😎 pic.twitter.com/C8rPoBWKOQ
- Thenewarea51 (@ thenewarea51) November 10, 2023
As usual in “first flights”, the B-21 kept its landing gear extended, accompanied by an F-16 fighter plane. It is also possible to see the aerial data cable and cone, attached to the rear of the aircraft that maintains the characteristic flying wing design of its predecessor, the B-2 Spirit.
From Palmdale, the B-21 headed to Edwards Air Force Base, also in California, where test flights will be carried out by Northrop employees and USAF military personnel.
“The flight tests are a critical step in the test campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and the 21th Test Wing's B-412 Combined Test Force to provide penetrating, long-range and survivable strike capabilities to prevent aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies and partners”, said the USAF in response to the portal The War Zone.
# BREAKING
B-21 RAIDER FIRST FLIGHT #RAIDER33 #B21Raider 11-10-23 pic.twitter.com/G8dr87bAa4- Matt Hartman (@ShorealoneFilms) November 10, 2023
This Friday's event also confirms the speech of USAF Secretary, Frank Kendall, who said in September that he expected the first flight of the B-21 in 2023. “If I said yes, I would be making a very specific prediction. And I never do that in relation to an acquisition program for something that hasn’t happened yet,” he stated. Fortunately, Kendall's “prediction” came true.
The B-21 Raider is expected to enter service from 2026, replacing the B-1B Lancer and B-2 bombers and operating alongside the veteran B-52 Stratofortress. The USAF intends to acquire more than 100 aircraft, forming a family of systems based on the new plane.
According to Northrop, the B-21 is also the world's first sixth-generation aircraft. “On the outside, next-generation stealth and advances in low-observable processes will make aircraft maintenance easier and less expensive than previous systems. Inside, the B-21's open architecture will enable rapid upgrades, from the addition of new weapons to software updates, thanks to advanced networking capabilities and successful cloud environment migration. With these innovations, the B-21 is designed to meet evolving threats for decades to come.”
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