B-21 Raider

The B-21 Raider is a next-generation, long-range stealth bomber developed for the United States Air Force under the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) program. Northrop Grumman was awarded the contract in October 2015, beating a Boeing–Lockheed Martin team. The aircraft is intended to gradually replace the aging B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets, and to complement the B-52 in the U.S. bomber leg of the nuclear triad.

The B-21 was publicly unveiled at Northrop Grumman's Palmdale, California facility on 2 December 2022, and conducted its first flight on 10 November 2023 from Plant 42 to Edwards Air Force Base, where flight testing is being conducted by the 420th Flight Test Squadron. The name "Raider" honors the Doolittle Raiders, the U.S. airmen who carried out the April 1942 strike on Japan.

Key publicly stated characteristics include:

• A flying-wing design visually similar to, but smaller than, the B-2 Spirit.
• Dual-capable role: certified to deliver both conventional munitions and nuclear weapons.
• Designed with open systems architecture to allow incremental upgrades to sensors, software, and weapons.
• Intended to operate in highly contested airspace where current bombers face survivability risks from advanced integrated air defenses.

The Air Force has stated a planned minimum fleet of at least 100 aircraft, with Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota designated as the first main operating base. Unit cost figures are subject to inflation adjustment; the program has been publicly described by the Air Force as on or near budget compared to many recent major defense acquisitions, though detailed cost data remain classified.

For IR and policy researchers, the B-21 is significant in debates over strategic stability, extended deterrence to allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, nuclear modernization costs, and U.S. posture toward peer competitors, particularly China and Russia. It also features in discussions about the future relevance of crewed bombers versus stand-off missiles and uncrewed systems.