Second B-21 stealth bomber arrives at Edwards AFB as flight testing ramps up

Airmen with the th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prepare to recover the second B- Raider to arrive for test and evaluation at Edwards Air Force Base Photo courtesy of the Air Force The second B- Raider arrived at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert earlier this month as flight testing of the stealthy flying-wing bomber ramps up the Air Force informed Northrop Grumman is building a fleet of of the new aircraft the nation s first new strategic bomber since the nearly -year-old B- Spirit at Air Force Plant in nearby Palmdale With the arrival of the second B- Raider our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum noted Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink in a report to the media We can now expedite critical evaluations of mission systems and weapons capabilities directly supporting the strategic deterrence and combat effectiveness envisioned for this aircraft Northrop Grumman proven that the next phase of flight test moves beyond flight performance and into the weapons and mission systems that make B- an unrivaled stealth bomber The bomber will reportedly carry the latest version of the B nuclear bomb and the AGM- Long-Range Stand Of nuclear missile The B- s range is classified but is expected to be longer that the nautical miles of the B- Ellsworth Air Forece Base in South Dakota is being readied for the first operational aircraft The B- Raider campaign represents a cornerstone of our strategic nuclear modernization mentioned Air Force Chief of Staff Gen David Allvin The concurrent efforts in testing sustainment preparation and infrastructure investments clearly illustrate our commitment to providing unmatched capabilities to deter and defeat threats well into the future