Second B-21 Raider Completes First Flight, Accelerating Bomber Test Program
Air Force says addition of second test aircraft will speed integration of weapons and mission systems for the sixth‑generation stealth bomber
A second B-21 Raider stealth bomber completed its first flight in California, the Air Force announced Thursday, a milestone officials said will accelerate testing and the integration of weapons and mission systems for the United States’ newest long‑range bomber.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the arrival of the second test aircraft gives the flight test campaign ‘‘substantial momentum’’ and enables the service to move beyond initial performance checks to install and evaluate mission systems and ordnance. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said the additional aircraft ‘‘accelerates the path to fielding’’ by allowing more assets into the test environment.
Built by Northrop Grumman, the B-21 is described by Pentagon leaders as the nation’s first sixth‑generation aircraft. Officials have said the bomber will be capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional weapons and is designed with advanced stealth features to penetrate contested airspace and operate against increasingly capable air defenses being fielded by China, Russia and other potential adversaries.
The program traces back to the early 2010s under the Long Range Strike Bomber initiative. Northrop Grumman leads a network of suppliers across the country supporting thousands of jobs, and the company publicly unveiled the aircraft in December 2022 at its Palmdale, California, factory. Most of the B-21’s capabilities and a detailed schedule for reaching initial operational capability remain classified; the Air Force has said it expects the bomber to enter service in the early 2030s.
The B-21 is intended to operate alongside a modernized fleet of B-52 Stratofortress aircraft, with Air Force leaders planning to buy at least 100 Raiders and retain 76 modernized B-52s. Officials say the two airframes will form the backbone of the service’s long‑range strike and nuclear deterrence capabilities and help provide commanders with more options in regions such as the Indo‑Pacific, where long distances and evolving missile threats challenge traditional basing and force posture.
Program officials have emphasized that the B-21 was designed with an open systems architecture to allow for faster technological upgrades and to avoid the steep per‑aircraft cost that limited earlier stealth programs. The B-2 Spirit cost roughly $2 billion per aircraft and was limited to a fleet of 21; the B-21 has been designed with a lower estimated unit cost of about $800 million.
Flight testing to date has focused primarily on performance verification and handling qualities. With a second test aircraft now flying, the Air Force said it can expand the envelope of flight trials and begin installing and evaluating mission systems and weapons integration — key steps toward demonstrating operational capability for warfighters.
The program is being watched closely in Washington after previous large aircraft efforts, including the F-35 fighter and KC-46 tanker, experienced delays and cost overruns. Pentagon leaders have said they are aiming to avoid similar setbacks and keep the B-21 on schedule and on budget. Officials also stress that many program details will remain classified to protect national security and operational advantage.
As testing expands, Air Force leaders say they will continue to monitor progress and adjust the test program as required to meet milestones. The addition of a second flight‑test aircraft represents a tangible step in a multi‑year campaign to validate the platform’s performance, integrate systems and move toward fielding a new generation of long‑range strike capability.