The United States Air Force revealed its new B-21 Raider bomber to the public, the first bomber of the 21st century.
Last December 2, the US Air Force unveiled the new bomber at Plant 42, the U.S. Air Force’s advanced aircraft research and development facility in Palmdale, California which was marked as the first to join the service since 1988.
In an exclusive report released by Popular Mechanics, the bomber was described as a “bat-winged bomber” that is “smaller but more capable than its predecessor, the B-2 Spirit, and the first aircraft will enter service later this decade.”
“The B-21 is built by defense contractor Northrop Grumman, which also built its predecessor, the B-2 Spirit. The two aircraft are similar in appearance, with large bat-like wings, a lack of a tail section, a smooth, featureless exterior, and a small, darkened cockpit in the nose,” the report further described.
According to the reports, it would replace the older platforms and would become the mainstay of the country’s bomber flee.
Following the release of the weapon, CEO and president of Northrop Grumman Kathy Warden released a statement, calling it “a bomber like no other.”
The Air force also described the weapon “as a long-range, highly survivable, penetrating strike stealth bomber. Northrop Grumman calls it a “sixth-generation” aircraft, the latest in several generations of armed jets dating back to the end of World War II,” the report continued.
Moreover, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also released a statement, thanking the Northrop Grumman who worked on the B-21.
According to Austin, the aircraft will have an unmatched range, and its stealth means “even the most sophisticated air defenses” will have a hard time targeting it.”
“This is deterrence the American way. This is the first bomber of the 21st century.” Austin said during a gathering of military personnel, government officials, Northrop Grumman employees, and media.
The report also added that such “Conventional weapons like B-21 will likely carry include the GBU-53B Stormbreaker all-weather standoff bomb, Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), and Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). Hypersonic air to ground weapons are almost certain, but the Air Force hasn’t explicitly mentioned them yet. Nuclear weapons the B-21 will likely carry include the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb and the Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) nuclear-tipped cruise missile.”
