The 6th generation B-21 Raider stealth bomber is still an aircraft whose details are scarce. After years of development, the flying wing jet was unveiled by Northrop Grumman and the US Air Force (USAF) at a ceremony in December 2022.
With guests and press away, the B-21 ended up having much of its shape preserved, but little by little both the manufacturer and the USAF released more images.
On the occasion of the inaugural flight, photographers stationed near Plant 42, in California, were finally able to record the aircraft taxiing and in flight.
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The B-21 has since ‘disappeared’ while flying to Edwards Air Force Base, whose immense area allows the bomber to remain out of sight.
This week, however, Northrop Grumman once again released a new image of the Raider, motivated by the Aviation Week Grand Laureate Award in the defense category.
The photo shows the B-21 almost head-on with the United States flag in the background, confirming that it is older material, made at the time the aircraft was unveiled.
The company, for obvious reasons, did not reveal any news about the Raider, but confirmed that “the program continues to meet all DoD technical, scheduling and affordability requirements on its path to operational capability.”
On previous occasions, the Air Force stated that there were six B-21s in different stages of manufacturing. Last October, Northrop Grumman awarded the aircraft’s first low-scale production contract.