The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is an American strategic bomber under development for the United States Air Force (USAF) by Northrop Grumman. As part of the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) program, it is to be a long-range, stealth intercontinental strategic bomber for the USAF, able to deliver conventional and thermonuclear weapons. The Air Force intends the B-21 to replace the Rockwell B-1 Lancer and Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit by 2040, and possibly the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress after that.
The Air Force began planning for the B-21 in 2011 and awarded the major development contract in 2015. The B-21 made its first flight today, November 10, 2023. It is expected to enter service by 2027.
In February 2016, the head of the Air Force Global Strike Command said he expected the service would place an initial order for 100 B-21s and build up to a full fleet of 175 to 200. In 2017, two USAF studies suggested that Air Force could increase its initial purchase from 80-to-100 to 145 aircraft. In December 2022, the cost of a B-21 aircraft was estimated to be $700 million. At the time, Air Force officials estimated that they would spend at least $203 billion over 30 years to develop, purchase, and operate a fleet of 100 B-21s.
#BREAKING
B-21 RAIDER FIRST FLIGHT #RAIDER33 #B21Raider 11-10-23 pic.twitter.com/G8dr87bAa4— Matt Hartman (@ShorealoneFilms) November 10, 2023
B-21 Raider first flight today 🔥
📹: @shorealonefilms pic.twitter.com/1r2IpOVFUJ
— Aviation (@webflite) November 10, 2023
There have been other pictures of the B-21 raider on the ground and driving on the runway.
There have been renderings as well.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
If the USAF’s claims about maintenance vs the B-2 are true then the B-21 program would pay for itself just by replacing the B-2. I hope they end up procuring 100+ airframes. As cool as the B-1 is it’s really an obsolete bomber and as the B-52 ages its maintenance costs are rising significantly.