B-21 Raider Takes First Flight

The stealth bomber is officially in flight testing, the Air Force confirms.

Kimberly Johnson

Friday, November 10, 2023 at 12:50 PM ET

Verified

Northrop Grumman's B-21 [Courtesy: Northrop Grumman]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force's B-21 Raider stealth bomber has successfully completed its first flight, confirming it is now in flight testing.
This flight is a critical step in the B-21's test campaign, aimed at providing survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities for deterrence.
The B-21 Raider is designed to carry out long-range conventional and nuclear missions, eventually replacing the aging B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets.
Six test aircraft are currently being manufactured, with full operational status anticipated by the mid-2020s, and Edwards Air Force Base leading testing.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The U.S. Air Force’s top-secret B-21 Raider stealth bomber has conducted its first flight.

The stealth bomber, which was unveiled by Northrop Grumman to the public in December and confirmed by the service to be undergoing taxi testing last month, had long been projected to make its first flight by the end of the year. That met deadline was confirmed Friday when freelance journalist Matt Hartman posted a video of an aloft B-21 on X, formerly known as Twitter.