Meet the Raider

Yesterday, the United States Air Force and Northrop Grumman finally revealed the B-21 Raider Prototype at a ceremony held after dark at Plant 42, Palmdale, California.

Design and Versatility

Now, for obvious reasons, there isn’t that much information about the new bomber, and its first test flight is expected to take place next year. But what we do know is that the B-21 is a much smaller design than the B-2 Spirit and is expected to be a more “Cost Effective” platform than its bigger, older brother. The B-21 is also anticipated to be more versatile.

Its smaller size means it could be deployed to multiple bases outside the U.S., as it would not require the same “Specialized” hangars used by the B-2 to protect its stealth coating. The use of Augmented Reality during maintenance would also cut down on the time needed to repair issues on each aircraft, thus shortening downtime.

Future Service and Potential Exports

The B-21 is expected to begin entering service in 2027-2028 and is anticipated to eventually replace both the B-1B Lancer and even the B-2, all the while integrating with the B-52, which could be used as stand-off missile carriers. (Yes, that plane isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.)

Speculations and Rumors

But here is the wildest thing…

While not confirmed and probably just idle talk, there is a rumor floating around that the United States might just export the Raider to Australia. Either by sharing technology or even building B-21s for the Royal Australian Air Force, as the Australian MoD has said that the use of a Next Generation Stealth Bomber was being examined. Whether this means Canberra will take an interest in the B-21 is still unknown. Like I said, it’s just a rumor.

But let’s see what happens with the Raider going forward.

~NC