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Key Points: The B-21 Raider, developed by Northrop Grumman under the Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) program, represents the future of U.S. Air Force strategic bombers.

-Resembling the B-2 Spirit but boasting cutting-edge technology, the Raider made its maiden flight in November 2023.

-Designed to carry a 20,000-lb payload, its stealth and advanced systems aim to counter rising threats like China’s H-20 bomber.

-The Air Force plans to acquire at least 100 B-21s to replace the aging B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets, ensuring dominance in next-generation aerial warfare.

-With operational service projected for 2026-2027, the Raider signals a new era for American airpower.

B-21 Raider: The Future of America’s Stealth Bomber Revealed

The word “Raider” means different things to different people. To movie buffs, it brings to mind “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the original film in the Indiana Jones franchise. To fans of American football, it brings to mind a once-great NFL franchise that has fallen on hard times in the 21st century. And to members of the U.S. Special Operations community, there’s the rough and tough Marine Raiders.

In the military aviation context, however, “Raider” refers to the U.S. Air Force’s 6th Generation strategic bomber prospect, the B-21 Raider. It’s time to examine the bomber in more detail.

Origins and Known Specifications of the B-21

The USAF’s current strategic stealth bomber, the Northrop B-2 Spirit – the original and oh-so-controversial “Stealth Bomber” – is the direct ancestor of the Northrop Grumman (post-merger) B-21, so the R&D team and senior execs alike at NG can take pride in knowing that they won’t be losing the next generation Stealth Bomber contract to a competing firm. This compares to the less fortunate Lockheed Martin’s legendary “Skunk Works” division. And the Raider indeed bears a fairly strong cosmetic appearance to the Spirit, even with the highly classified internals of the newer warbird obviously being more sophisticated.

Initially designed in 2011 under the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) program, the Raider finally made her maiden flight on November 10, 2023, just one day before Veteran’s Day, taking off from the Air Force Plant 42 Palmdale, California.

B-21 Raider. Image Credit: U.S. Military.

As might be expected, many of the specifications and vital stats on the B-21 are still hush-hush.

However, Bill Sweetman of Aviation Week was able to cull the following figures:

Weapons Payload: 20,000 lb (9,100 kg) weapon load

Length: 54 ft (16 m)

Wingspan: 132 ft (40 m)

Empty weight: 70,000 lb (31,751 kg)

Max takeoff weight: 180,000 lb (81,647 kg)

Max airspeed: Mach 0.8+ (613.8+ Mach; 987.8+ km/h; 533.3+ knots)

Those payload stats sound a tad lowballed and underwhelming to some in the community; for frame of reference, the Spirit has an official payload limit of 40,000 lbs. (18,000 kg), with a maximum estimated limit of 50,000 lbs. (23,000 kg).

B-21 Raider: The Way Forward?

How many B-21s does the Air Force need?

The USAF brass has remained committed to a production goal of a minimum of 100 Raider airframes – more than can be said for, say, the beleaguered Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) 6th Generation fighter jet program.

B-21 Raider

B-21 Raider. Image Credit: US Air Force.

Moreover, the sense of urgency to find a viable successor to the USAF’s aging B-1B Lancer (or as her crews prefer to call her, the “Bone”) as well as B-2 Spirit fleets remains palpable, especially in light of the People’s Republic of China’s 6th Generation bomber program, the H-20.

To round out this mental exercise on the Raider’s projected numerical needs, we must also factor in America’s bombers of the non-stealth variety. The USAF has the mighty “BUFFs” (an acronym that is not suitable for work) i.e. the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.

However, the Air Force brass has no intention of replacing the BUFFs with stealth planes; instead, the B-52H models are slated for the B-52J upgrade. On the other hand, the 39-strong “Bone” fleet is overdue for retirement, that plane’s supersonic capabilities and impressive combat record notwithstanding.

That leaves 85, plus 39, which gives us a hypothetical “need” for 124 B-21s.

Meanwhile, only three airframes have actually been built thus far, and the Raider’s expected operational service debut has been pushed back to 2026 or 2027. Time will tell.

About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert

Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor for 19FortyFive. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch , The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS).