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

The second B-21 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 announced.

Northrop Grumman is building a fleet of 100 of the new aircraft — the nation’s first new strategic bomber since the nearly 40-year-old B-2 Spirit — at Air Force Plant 42 in nearby Palmdale.

“With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum,” said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink in a statement 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 confirmed that “the next phase of flight test moves beyond flight performance and into the weapons and mission systems that make B-21 an unrivaled stealth bomber.”

The bomber will reportedly carry the latest version of the B61 nuclear bomb and the AGM-181 Long-Range Stand Of nuclear missile.

The B-21’s range is classified, but is expected to be longer that the 6,000 nautical miles of the B-2. Ellsworth Air Forece Base in South Dakota is being readied for the first operational aircraft.

“The B-21 Raider program represents a cornerstone of our strategic nuclear modernization,” said 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.”