The U.S. Air Force released new pictures of its B-21 Raider, a nuclear-armed stealth bomber currently going through testing.
The new photos show the B-21 conducting tests, including flight tests and taxiing, as well as a rarely seen full-frontal view of the new aircraft stored under a hangar at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
The aircraft, which is set to replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers in the mid-2020s, is on track to meet its timeline for release, according to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition Andrew Hunter, who told Congress this month that the test program was "proceeding well."
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"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,’ Hunter said.
According to an Air Force press release, the B-21 will be a long range and "high survivable" stealth bomber that will "play a major role supporting national security objectives and assuring U.S. allies and partners across the globe."
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The Air Force partnered with Northrop Grumman to build the aircraft, with the goal of producing a minimum of 100 planes during its mid-2020s release timeline.
The Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office (AFRCO), which is managing the acquisition program for the B-21, said in the release that the test aircraft have been built as "production-representative as possible," a break from the typical flight prototype approach that will allow the Air Force to meet its production timeline more quickly.
The B-21 is expected to enter service at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, which is planned as the first main operating base for the new aircraft and will serve as the location of the Formal Training Unit. Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, are preferred destinations to receive the remaining B-21s as they become available.
