Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, is on track to receive the first operational B-21 Raider, with construction already underway for several infrastructure upgrades.
Aerospace giant Northrop Grumman has delivered the second of a planned six B-21 Raider flight test aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California, the Department of the Air Force announced on Thursday afternoon. The prototype was built on the same manufacturing line with the same tools and processes that will be used to build the production B-21s, which are expected to begin entering service with the US Air Force later in the decade.
What (Little) We Know About the B-21 Raider
- Year Introduced: 2023 (first flight; not yet in operational service as of 2025)
- Number Built: 3 (test and initial production aircraft, as of 2025)
- Length: ~69 ft (21 m)
- Height: ~20 ft (6.1 m)
- Wingspan: ~140 ft (43 m)
- Weight:
- Empty: Classified (estimated ~60,000–70,000 lbs)
- Standard conditions: Classified
- Maximum takeoff weight: Estimated ~140,000 lbs (official figure not released)
- Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines (exact model classified; believed to be derivatives of the F135 or a new variant)
- Top Speed: High subsonic (exact figure classified)
- Range: ~6,000 mi (9,600 km) unrefueled (officially “intercontinental”)
- Service Ceiling: Classified (estimated ~50,000 ft)
- Loadout:
- Internal bays only (stealth optimized)
- Conventional or nuclear ordnance
- Precision-guided munitions (JDAM, JASSM, etc.)
- Nuclear gravity bombs (B61-12, B83, etc.)
- Potential future hypersonic/stand-off weapons
- Aircrew: 2 (pilot + mission commander; capable of uncrewed/remote operations in the future)
The B-21’s Flight Tests Are Still Ongoing
Testing on the future backbone of the service’s strategic long-range bombers has been ongoing since late 2023, when the first prototype made an unannounced maiden flight in Palmdale, California. It came just a year after the flying-wing bomber was officially unveiled to the public during a ceremony at Northrop Grumman’s facility in December 2022.
The delivery of a second flight prototype aircraft will further expand the Air Force’s abilities to conduct “comprehensive testing and sustainment training,” the DAF explained. It will further enable greater testing capabilities of the B-21’s systems.
“With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum,” said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. “We can now expedite critical evaluations of mission systems and weapons capabilities, directly supporting the strategic deterrence and combat effectiveness envisioned for this aircraft.”
The service further stated that two prototype B-21s at Edwards AFB will aid in training Air Force maintainers. In addition to having twice the number of aircraft to work on, it will provide the first opportunities to test “the effectiveness of maintenance tools, technical data, and the logistical processes that support future operational squadrons.” Aircrews will, for the first time, have to deal with the simultaneous sustainment of aircraft instead of just a single prototype.
“In addition to a second B-21 to the flight test program accelerates the path to fielding,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. “By having more assets in the test environment, we bring this capability to our warfighters faster, demonstrating the urgency with which we’re tackling modernization.”
Preparing the Future Home for the Raiders
Beyond the two deliveries of the second prototype test flight aircraft, the DAF also announced that the upcoming fiscal year 2026 (FY26), which begins on October 1, will see efforts ramped up to prepare the future home bases for the Raider fleet.
Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, is on track to receive the first operational B-21 Raider, with construction already underway for several infrastructure upgrades, including new shelters for the aircraft and a new runway and flight line. To accommodate the work, Ellsworth AFB temporarily relocated its fleet of B-1B Lancers to Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, allowing it to focus on preparing for the Raiders’ arrival.
“The B-21 Raider program represents a cornerstone of our strategic nuclear modernization,” Allvin added. “The concurrent efforts in testing, sustainment preparation and infrastructure investments clearly illustrate our commitment to providing unmatched capabilities to deter and defeat threats well into the future.”
The Air Force has described the Raider as a “sixth-generation stealth bomber,” which will replace the aging Rockwell B-1B Lancer and Northrop B-2 Spirit and serve alongside the early Cold War-era Boeing B-52 Stratofortress until that plane is retired in the early 2050s. Current plans call for the US Air Force to acquire at least 100 B-21 Raiders, although some officials have suggested that the number should be increased and possibly doubled.
In addition to developing a state-of-the-art bomber, Air Force officials have emphasized their focus on containing costs while maintaining maximum flexibility. The Raider, named after the aviators who participated in the 1942 “Doolittle Raid” on Tokyo during World War II, was developed using Northrop Grumman’s pioneering digital engineering practices and advanced manufacturing techniques.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
