Report: Air Force Set To Roll Out B-21 Stealth Bomber This Year

Six aircraft currently in production will likely take flight quickly after rollout in 2022, an Air Force Global Strike Command official said.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 03:57 PM ET

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A B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic. Designed to perform long range conventional and nuclear missions and to operate in tomorrow’s high end threat environment, the B-21 will be a visible and flexible component of the nuclear triad. [Courtesy: Northrop Grumman]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force has six B-21 Raider next-generation stealth bombers currently in production, with a rollout and first flight anticipated later this year.
The B-21 is designed for long-range conventional and nuclear missions, utilizing digital technology and models-based systems engineering for expedited development.
It will form the backbone of the Air Force's future bomber fleet alongside B-52s, incrementally replacing B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers, with at least 100 aircraft planned for purchase.

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The U.S. Air Force has six B-21 Raider next generation stealth bombers in production that it intends to roll out this year, according to a report.

Last fall, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall confirmed that five B-21 aircraft were already in production. The future stealth bomber is designed to carry out long-range conventional and nuclear missions and slated to hit full operations in the mid-2020s.