After several months of unveiling its designs to the public, Northrop Grumman today unveiled the first B-21 Raider, a sixth-generation bomber used by the United States Air Force (USAF). Like the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit before it, the Raider has the ability to be difficult to detect by radar due to its smaller cross-section and more recent radar absorption technology.
The B-21 Raider also retains the "flying wing" design of the B-2 pioneered by Jack Northrop since 1928. At a glance the Raider is a smaller bomber with the most notable changes being the smaller and deeper engine air vents in the wings. .
The plane's window is also smaller to reduce the effect of it reversing the radar signal. Even more interesting is the side mirror design which is also unconventional. At the launch event of this aircraft given the number T1, only the front part was shown to the audience.
Northrop Grumman did not provide information on the flight range capability, the weight of weapons that can be carried and the maximum speed of the aircraft. Northrop Grumman only said the B-21 Raider can perform missions on behalf of the USAF all over the world when needed.
Since the end of the cold war, the function of strategic bombers has changed a lot. Among the things that the B-21 Raider can do is the ability to bomb during the day when it is difficult to be detected by radar.
This is the reason why it uses liquid gray instead of black like the F-117 Nighthawk and dark blue like the B-2 Spirit. For the same reason it was given the name Raiders in conjunction with the Doolittle Raiders who carried out a mission to bomb Tokyo in the daytime during the Second World War.
It can carry conventional bomb payloads, JDAM smart bombs and nuclear bombs depending on the mission. In addition, it can perform various other strategic missions such as assisting infantry in the field as well as monitoring without being detected.
The T1 will perform ground maneuver tests this year with the first flight targeted for 2023. A total of five more B-21 Raiders are currently under construction to perform various more test missions with the USAF committed to purchasing at least 100 aircraft. Once operational, the B-21 Raider is expected to serve up to 30 years with a total program cost of $240.4 billion.
