Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider

The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is a nuclear-capable, subsonic stealth strategic bomber being developed for the United States Air Force. It grew out of the Long Range Strike Bomber program, which began in 2011 and gave Northrop Grumman the major development contract in 2015. The Raider is a flying wing like the B-2 Spirit but smaller and lighter, and it is meant to complement the Rockwell B-1 Lancer and the B-2 and then replace them by 2040. It is designed to carry conventional ordnance such as the AGM-158 JASSM-ER cruise missile alongside the AGM-181 LRSO strategic nuclear cruise missile and B61 nuclear bombs, and it is built mainly for operations in the Indo-Pacific. The first aircraft was unveiled at the Palmdale, California, production facility in December 2022, and the first flight took place on 10 November 2023.