The United States is preparing to take to the skies the first bombers of a new generation. Today, June 10, the portal thedrive.com he announced that Northrop Grumman has completed the assembly of the first two samples of the B-21 Raider aircraft.
During yesterday's hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, Darlene Costello, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Procurement, Technology and Logistics, said that the first two B-21s have already been assembled at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The first flight is scheduled for 2022.
Render of the advanced B-21 Raider bomber
Image source: af.mil
The project to create the B-21 involves the assembly of hundreds of bombers (with the possibility of increasing the order), which are planned to enter service in the mid-2020s. The contract amount is $55 billion (approximately $550 million for each aircraft). The new vehicle should work in tandem with its predecessor, the B — 2 Spirit bomber.
The U.S. Air Force has three types of operational strategic bombers in its arsenal: the B-52 Stratofortress, the B-1 Lancer, and the B-2 Spirit. In addition, in 2016, work began on the creation of a new strategic bomber, called the B-21 Raider. Despite the fact that the B-52 Stratofortress first flew in 1952, it will continue to serve with the promising B-21 Raider, while the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit will be written off as new bombers are produced.