B-21 Raider Bomber

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. It is to complement and eventually replace the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, but not the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers.

The Air Force began planning for the B-21 in 2011 and awarded the major development contract in 2015. As of 2022, the B-21 is expected to make its first flight in 2023, enter service in 2026 or 2027, and reach initial operating capability by 2030.

Many aspects of the B-21 program are highly classified; the program is designated as a special access program. The Congressional Research Service noted in 2021 that the B-21's technical details and specifications, such as speed, enabling systems, "size, required stealth, structure, number and type of engines, projected weapons, and onboard sensors remain classified" although some information about various other aspects of the program have been made public since 2015. The first photos of the aircraft were released on December 2, 2022, during a rollout ceremony at Northrop Grumman's production facilities in Palmdale, California. More details