10 Secrets of the New American Stealth Bomber B-21 Raider

The head of the Air Force office overseeing development of the secret B-21 next-generation bomber remarked last month in a public forum that he “would not bet on” the plane accomplishing its first flight as planned in December of 2021.

He wasn’t signaling trouble with the program, he was simply alluding to the challenges of assembling and testing the most advanced long-range strike aircraft ever conceived. The B-21 Raider, as it was designated in 2016, will provide the Air Force with unprecedented survivability and versatility over very long ranges in support of both conventional and nuclear missions.

That much is widely known. But there is much that is not known, such as precisely what the plane looks like, what it will cost, and how development is progressing. Although the B-21 successfully completed its critical design review late last year, it is largely shrouded in mystery—a necessary move so that potential enemies can’t get a head start in figuring out how they might defend against it when it begins joining the force in the 2020s.

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