Created by the American military-industrial corporation Northrop Grumman in the interests of the US Air Force (Air Force), the strategic stealth bomber B-21 Raider (called the “killer” of the Russian anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) S-400 “Triumph”) may become “the coolest” by plane in the world, writes Popular Mechanics.
According to an American magazine, two such bombers are currently under construction in California. This aircraft will make its first flight in mid-2022. “At the end of this decade, the B-21 Raider will replace the [US Air Force strategic bombers] B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit,” the newspaper notes.
The magazine recalls that the B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers, which began production in 1961, will remain, unlike the B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit, with the US Air Force until at least 2050.
The publication notes that the need for the B-21 Raider is due, in part, to “tensions with nuclear powers such as Russia and China.” According to the magazine, the design of the aircraft, made according to the aerodynamic “flying wing” scheme, allows it to penetrate deep into enemy territory, while remaining unnoticed by enemy radars.
The magazine writes that the aircraft will be able to carry conventional and nuclear weapons, such as the Joint Directed Attack Munition (JDAM) guided ammunition and AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) missiles, as well as the B83 and B61-12 nuclear bombs. Also, the bomber can be equipped, in particular, with naval mines, drones and hypersonic weapons.
The publication assures that the US Air Force plans to receive at least 100 B-21 Raider units worth $ 80 billion.
In April 2020, Northrop Grumman released a B-2 Spirit commercial on YouTube. “When the United States goes to war, the B-2s go first – as was the case in Iraq, Afghanistan, Serbia and Libya (in 2011 and 2017),” the video says. The video ends with a mention of the promising B-21 Raider.
In January of the same year, American Lieutenant General David Deptula said that the United States could strike Iran with a quick and deadly blow using the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters, as well as the promising B-21 Raider.
