The New American Nuclear Bomber

On Friday November 10th 2023 the B-21 Raider, America's newest bomber in decades took to the California skies for its first test flight. The test flight, while not being a complete surprise due to photos surfacing of the B-21 taxiing up the runway just a few weeks prior, the method of announcement was quite a surprise.

Video taken by Matt Hartman, a freelance photographer, shows the Raider flying through the desert skies accompanied by an escort fighter jet serving as a chase plane (F-16 possibly) . The video was posted to X (formerly Twitter) and seemed to serve as the first announcement of the test flight. The US Air Force has confirmed the B-21 Raider has entered test flights.

Now a look at B-21 and what aircraft it will replace. Raider is a long range stealth bomber, meant to fill the role of B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and the B-1 Lancer a variable sweep wing heavy bomber. Currently both of these planes while being effective are reaching their limitations. Both planes were developed over 30 years ago and technology has increased greatly since then. Just think of the first computer you had compared to your phone. Things have gotten better, so we needed a new aircraft to accommodate.

B-21 is the modern day stealth bomber and though it may look like the B-2 spirit, they are completely different aircraft. B-21 will look to incorporate unmanned fighters and other types of sensor and strike drones to greatly increase its capability. Filling both nuclear and traditional bombing roles, Raider is not a threat to take lightly. Newer stealth coatings and radar absorbing materials, better range and newer sensors makes B-21 a terrifying tool in the nuclear triad.

This is of course Raiders most important mission, nuclear defense.

The nuclear triad consists of three ways to deploy nuclear weapons in the event of a total nuclear war. The idea is something like don’t keep all your eggs in one basket. The weapons systems consist of nuclear tipped ICBMs launched from ground silos in the United States, submarine launched ballistic and cruise missiles both of which can be fitted with a nuclear warhead, and lastly we have an assortment of air launched nuclear weapons typically in the form of gravity bombs or cruise missiles. The last of which, the B-21 is going to be used for delivery of these weapons.

America’s newest stealth bomber is in the skies for testing and if all stays on schedule then B-21 will be protecting America and our allies in 2027!