The Air Force‘s new highly classified nuclear-capable stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, made its first flight Friday morning, nearly one year after the multimillion-dollar aircraft was revealed to the public and as global tensions in the Pacific and Middle East continue to grow.
Images and videos of a B-21 taxiing on the runway of the Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, and later taking to the skies began circulating online early Friday morning. Ann Stefanek, an Air Force spokeswoman, confirmed to Military.com that the B-21 has begun flight testing.
“Flight testing is a critical step in the test campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and 412th Test Wing’s B-21 Combined Test Force to provide survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies and partners,” Stefanek said. “Flight testing includes ground testing, taxiing and flying operations.”
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Videos show the B-21 Raider slowly whooshing over Palmdale. The flight was not publicized by the Air Force, and freelance and aviation photographers were among the first to see it take off. The bomber was unveiled to the public in December 2022.
The Northrop Grumman-developed B-21 is capable of carrying conventional bombs and missiles, as well as nuclear munitions. It will play a significant…
