Defense contractor Northrop Grumman has delivered a second B-21 Raider to the U.S. Air Force for testing.
In a statement released Thursday, the company said its next-generation, long-range strategic bomber flew from a manufacturing facility in Palmdale, California, to Edwards Air Force Base, where the military is testing a B-21 delivered in November 2023. The testing program is now expected to pivot from flight performance to evaluations of the aircraft’s mission and weapons systems.
As part of the tests, Northrop Grumman will demonstrate to the military how it will deliver software upgrades to the B-21.
“With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in a statement. “We can now expedite critical evaluations of mission systems and weapons capabilities, directly supporting the strategic deterrence and combat effectiveness envisioned for this aircraft.”
Military officials said the presence of a second B-21 at Edwards AFB will give maintenance personnel “invaluable hands-on experience” and test the effectiveness of current sustainment and logistics processes.
“The addition of a second B-21 to the flight test program accelerates the path to fielding,” said Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin. “By having more assets in the test environment, we bring this capability to our warfighters faster, demonstrating the urgency with which we’re tackling modernization.”
The Air Force also said that, with the start of fiscal year 2026, it will launch extensive construction projects at designated B-21 operating bases to ensure they can properly accommodate and service the aircraft. Ellsworth AFDS in South Dakota will be the first Air Force facility to receive an active-service B-21.
The B-21 is expected to eventually replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers. Many of the aircraft’s features and systems remain classified.
