The James CaldwellU.S. Air Force released the first in-flight photos of its newest nuclear stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, on Wednesday after defense officials confirmed the sleek military aircraft had taken to the sky in California.
“The flight test program is proceeding well,” Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, said during a Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month in Washington D.C. “It is doing what flight test programs are designed to do, which is helping us learn about the unique characteristics of this platform, but in a very, very effective way.”
The stealth, undergoing flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, remains on track to meet timelines for deployment next spring, the Air Force wrote in a statement released on Wednesday.
What to know:Yes, turbulence is getting worse, but deaths are very rare
The Air Force and Northrop Grumman, who manufactured the aircraft, unveiled the B-21, a new, long-range strike bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons, in December 2022.
The B-21 got its name from the 1942 Doolittle Raid over Tokyo and is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional payloads making it more advanced than any current aircraft.
When the B-21 enters the service, Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, will be is central operating base and training center. Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, and Dyess Air Force Base in Texas are listed as backup bases in the release.
"Designed to operate in tomorrow’s high-end threat environment, the B-21 will play a critical role in ensuring America’s enduring airpower capability," the Air Force wrote on its website.
Campus protests fallout:UCLA chief 'reassigned temporarily' after campus protests on Israel-Hamas war
The B-21 will replace the military's current B-1 and B-2 models, "becoming the backbone of the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet."
The B-21 is the first new American bomber aircraft in more than 30 years, and is one of six under production, according to the Air Force. The Air Force previously reported it expects to eventually have at least 100 of the new bombers.
Contributing: Mike Snider
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
2025-05-04 12:321323 view
2025-05-04 12:171697 view
2025-05-04 12:051859 view
2025-05-04 11:09497 view
2025-05-04 11:012466 view
2025-05-04 10:512459 view
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol rioteven
The life-threatening heat waves that have baked U.S. cities and inflamed European wildfires in recen
The devastating collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in the Miami suburb of S
