The second B-21 Raider bomber finished the first flight test for Air Force

A second bomber B-21 Raider stolen for the first time in California, the Air Force announced Thursday, according to a stage, officials will accelerate the tests of the first new American long-range bomber in more than three decades.

“With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign takes substantial momentum,” said Air Force secretary Troy Meink, in a statement. He added that the service can now start to integrate weapons and mission systems in the bomber. Until now, flight tests have been mainly limited to performance checks.

The B-21, built by Northrop Grumman, is the first world plane of sixth generation and will be able to carry nuclear and conventional weapons. Its furtive conception is intended to penetrate deeply into enemy territory and to function against the increasingly advanced air defenses, China, Russia and other adversaries.

The new suicide bomber follows in the line of the B-52 stratotortress of the era of the Cold War, the B-1 throw and the B-2 spirit ousted from the radar.

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A second B-21 Raider bomber stolen for the first time in California. (Air Force)

Unlike the B-2, which cost around $ 2 billion per plane and was finally limited to a fleet of 21, the B-21 was designed with an approximately $ 800 million price per plane and with an open systems architecture to allow easier technological improvements.

The B-2, still in service, recently carried out combat missions during American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June.

Air Force leaders said the service planned to buy at least 100 B-21, which will work alongside a fleet of 76 modernized B-52 stratotortress aircraft in the future. Together, the two planes will form the backbone of the American bombardier force, offering both long -range typing capacities and nuclear deterrence within the framework of the American nuclear triad.

The program is closely monitored in Washington after previous aircraft programs, such as the F-35 Fighter Jet and the KC-46 oil tanker, included significant delays and cost exceeding.

“With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign takes substantial momentum,” said Air Force secretary Troy Meink, in a statement. (Air Force)

Officials have kept most of the details on the B-21 classified, including the calendar to reach the initial operational capacities, although the Air Force said that it expects the bomber to service in the early 2030s.

Air Force Chief of Staff, General, David Allvin, said that adding a second test plane is a positive step towards this goal.

“The addition of a second B-21 to the flight test program accelerates the path to the field,” said Allvin. “By having more assets in the test environment, we bring this ability to our fighters faster, demonstrating the urgency with which we attack modernization.”

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The B-21, built by Northrop Grumman, is the world’s leading world plane. (Air Force)

The B-21 program, which started in the early 2010s under what was then known as the Bomber Strike Bomber initiative in a long-range, was described by Pentagon leaders as essential to maintain the American military advantage.

The officials said that the range and the stealth of the plane will give commanders more options in Indo-Pacific, where long distances and growing Chinese missile threats question traditional avant-garde bases.

A B-21 flew near Edwards Air Force Base, the Air Force said on Thursday. (Air Force)

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Northrop Grumman directs the program with a network of suppliers across the country, supporting thousands of jobs. The company publicly unveiled the plane in December 2022 in its Palmdale factory, California, although most of its capacities remain very classified. Only a handful of images have been published, showing an elegant design with flying sail that recalls the B-2 but built with updated materials and engineering.

With expanding tests, the Pentagon hopes to avoid delays and deliver the bomber on time and on the budget. The officials point out that the B-21 will provide a critical advantage in the United States for the decades both in conventional strike missions and nuclear deterrence.