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Associated Press

The B-21 Raider took its first test flight on Friday, moving the futuristic warplane closer to becoming the nation’s next nuclear weapons stealth bomber.
The Raider flew in Palmdale, California, where it has been under testing and development by Northrop Grumman.
The US Air Force is planning to build 100 of the warplanes, which have a flying wing shape much like their predecessor the B-2 Spirit but will incorporate advanced materials, propulsion and stealth technology to make them more survivable in a future conflict.
The plane is planned to be produced in variants with and without pilots.

“The B-21 Raider is in flight testing,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said.
Such testing is a critical step in the campaign to provide “survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies and partners”, Stefanek said.
The B-21 Raider is the first new American bomber aircraft in more than 30 years, and almost every aspect of the programme is classified.
Both Northrop Grumman and the Air Force have tried to protect the programme’s details to prevent China from gaining access to the weapon’s technology and building a similar version, as it has with other US advanced weapons systems like the F-35 joint strike fighter.
US supersonic bombers to make appearance in drill near China-India border
The B-21 is part of the Pentagon’s efforts to modernise all three legs of its nuclear triad, which includes silo-launched nuclear ballistic missiles and submarine-launched warheads, as it invests in new weapons to meet China’s rapid military modernisation.
Northrop Grumman is based in Falls Church, Virginia.


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United States

New US nuclear stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, takes its first test flight

The US Air Force’s B-21 Raider takes off from the runway at Northrop Grumman’s site at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, on Friday. Photo: Reuters

The B-21 Raider stealth bomber is unveiled at Northrop Grumman in Palmdale, California, in December 2022. Photo: AP

US satellites make another sighting of China’s WZ-8 supersonic drone

The WZ-8 was in service by the time it went on display at AirShow China 2021. Photo: Han Guan

Chinese scientists say new stealth tech for submarines can ‘cancel out’ US Navy sonar

A new type of Chinese nuclear submarine is seen in 2019 off the coast of Qingdao. Photo: Xinhua

The lightweight, ‘active’ device developed by the Chinese team is based on giant magnetostrictive material technology. Credit: Beijing Institute of Technology

Superior stealth: Chinese drone wing design aims to raise the bar for radar-evading aircraft

Chinese researchers claim to have developed new technology that can help this drone maneuvre without using any moving parts on its wing. Photo: China Aerodynamics Research and Development Centre

DEMON was an experimental unmanned aerial vehicle developed and manufactured by British defence conglomerate BAE Systems. Photo: Handout

The drone was equipped with a pair of actuators that used compressed jet engine air for steering. Photo: China Aerodynamics Research and Development Centre

News

World

United States & Canada

The US Air Force is planning to build 100 of the futuristic warplanes, which will incorporate advanced materials, propulsion and stealth technology
The Raider is the first new American bomber aircraft in more than 30 years, and almost every aspect of the programme is classified


The US Air Force is planning to build 100 of the futuristic warplanes, which will incorporate advanced materials, propulsion and stealth technology.
