US Air Force Completes B-21 Stealth Bomber Weapons Release Test
The US Air Force announced on November 13 that a B-21 Raider stealth bomber had taken off from Edwards Air Force Base in California the previous week and completed a conventional weapons release test. The Air Force said the program is ahead of schedule, with the first operational aircraft expected to enter service at a base in South Dakota in 2027.
The US Air Force announced on November 13 that a B-21 Raider stealth bomber had completed a weapons release test the previous week. The military said the test marked the next step for the new generation aircraft, from flight testing toward becoming an operational weapons platform.
The B-21 involved in the test took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California and released a conventional weapon. The US Air Force did not specify the type of weapon. The military said the results showed that the aircraft’s digital models and open systems architecture performed as expected. US Air Force Chief of Staff Ken Wilsbach said the test showed that the B-21 program was making good progress.
The B-21 is designed to penetrate dense, modern integrated air defense systems and to carry and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. In 2015, the US Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman the development contract for the stealth bomber. Other partners in the program include Pratt & Whitney, Janicki Industries, Collins Aerospace, GKN Aerospace, BAE Systems and Boeing subsidiary Spirit AeroSystems.
The US Air Force said the B-21 program is currently ahead of schedule. Under the current plan, the first operational aircraft is expected to enter service at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota in 2027.
Source: VietVance
