New US B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Passes Major Weapons Milestone

Detailed summary

The B-21 is the "envy of the entire test community," the bomber's main contractor, Northrop Grumman, said on Friday.

The B-21 long-range aircraft successfully completed a new weapons test, according to the U.S. Air Force (USAF), just months before the first next-generation stealth bombers are due to arrive on the tarmac.

The USAF said on Friday a B-21 Raider test aircraft had taken off from Edwards Air Force Base in California the previous week, before releasing a conventional weapon.

It's not clear what type of weapon was used, and Newsweek has reached out to the Pentagon for comment via email.

The B-21's main contractor, Northrop Grumman, said the trial was a "major step forward for America’s next-generation bomber" while Air Force Chief of Staff General Ken Wilsbach described the B-21 program as "excelling."

"We are building an impressive fleet that will give our joint force credible, penetrating strike options for decades to come," Wilsbach said in a statement.

The B-21 Raider will be phased in to replace the current U.S. B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit bomber fleet in the next few years. The Northrop Grumman-designed aircraft was first unveiled in late 2022 and completed its first flight the following year.

The USAF plans to buy at least 100 B-21s, which will be able to carry both conventional bombs and nuclear weapons. The B-2 is a crucial part of the U.S.'s so-called nuclear triad of land-, sea- and air-based strategic nuclear weapons.

The B-21 is expected to launch the AGM-181 Long Range Stand Off Weapon (LRSO), a nuclear-capable cruise missile developed by Raytheon, and be able to drop B61-12 gravity bombs. The U.S. has an estimated 200 B-61 bombs, with roughly half deployed at multiple bases across Europe.

The LRSO is scheduled to take the place of the AGM-86B missile by late 2030.

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