First strike: B-21 Raider flight testing steps up

It’s been two years since the B-21 Raider was unveiled to the world at a glitzy ceremony hosted by manufacturer Northrop Grumman. Yet while little hard information on its specs has been released since, the aircraft has been spotted by eagle-eyed aviation photographers recently soaring over Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it is conducting flight testing.

The Raider, of course, is the ‘sequel’ to the UFO-like B-2 Spirit. Designed to strike silently deep behind enemy lines, the “sixth generation” bomber boasts a 9,500km range and advanced stealth capabilities. The US will purchase at least 100, with the first set to enter service by the mid-2020s. “The world has never seen technology like what Northrop Grumman developed for our B-21,” cooed the prime in 2022.

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