He B-21 Raider was seen in action for the first time. The sixth-generation stealth bomber that Northrop Grumman is developing for the United States Air Force (USAF) successfully completed its first flightand left some truly amazing postcards.
Aviation fans had the pleasure of observing the new aircraft in detail, which was formally presented in December 2022. It is true that the work on the B-21 Raider is kept secret, but at least it has been possible see imposing its figure on the American sky.
The first flight of the stealth bomber took place last Friday, November 10 and lasted about 90 minutes. It is worth mentioning that the B-21 Raider was mobilized strictly over Californian territory. It took off from United States Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale and landed at Edwards Air Force Base.
Throughout the journey, the B-21 Raider was accompanied by an F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter that served as escort. Below you can see the video of the sixth generation aircraft taking off, which has a truly spectacular appearance.
While no details were revealed for logical reasons, Northrop Grumman and the USAF confirmed that The test phase of the bomber has already begun. Air & Space Forces Magazine mentions that, considering its duration, it is likely that this first flight served to move the plane from one base to the other and, in turn, begin to examine some of its flight characteristics.
B-21 Raider successfully completes first flight
Photos of Matt Hartman on X (Twitter).
The first flight of the B-21 Raider was not announced in advancebut this did not prevent the spotters and fans captured photos and videos that quickly went viral on X (Twitter) and instagram. The images that were released showed the bomber traveling at low altitude and with the landing gear still extended.
Another curious fact is that the bomber carried an extensive cable with a red element at the end. The same is clearly visible in the takeoff clip that we shared previously. At the moment, it is unknown if it included some type of sensor or instrument, if it fulfilled visibility or signaling functions, or if it was used to analyze the turbulence generated by its engines from the F-16 fighter that served as escort.
The truth is that, with this first flight, Northrop Grumman met its goal of flying the B-21 Raider before the end of the year. Initially, the United States Air Force had stated that its intention was to test it in mid-2023, but it is evident that this was ultimately delayed.
Development of sixth-generation stealth bomber advances
For the manufacturer, this first test was crucial. In late October, during a call with its investors, Northrop Grumman said it would only receive an initial small-scale production contract when it completed the first flight of the sixth-generation stealth bomber. However, they were confident of achieving it during the current quarter.
In addition to the unity that was seen in public, 5 more test models of the B-21 Raider are being manufactured. It is estimated that the cost of each plane will be between 700 and 750 million dollars. The aerospace firm in charge of the project has already clarified that it will not make a profit during the limited production of the bomber, but that this will change once it begins mass production.
The USAF has not yet set a target date for the sixth-generation stealth aircraft to enter service. Likewise, it has not yet been defined if the project will be exclusive to the United States or if its export to allied countries will be allowed.