B-21 Raider Tests Continue at Edwards Air Force Base - In November, the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider successfully took its maiden test flight in Palmdale, California, where the bomber is currently undergoing testing.

The United States Air Force had previously announced that advanced notice would not be given as to when exactly that first flight would occur, but the Raider had been undergoing taxi tests – and there was a chance its maiden flight could have occurred unexpectedly. That actually happened with the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon nearly 50 years ago when it became airborne during a high-speed taxi test, a critical step toward an aircraft's first flight.

Though the service also didn't publicize the event, expectations were high, and about three dozen aviation enthusiasts and others gathered around Plant 42 and were able to witness the flying wing-styled bomber take to the skies.

Since then, the B-21 Raider – named for the 80 men who took part in the World War II "Doolittle Raid" on Tokyo in the spring of 1942 – flew a test sortie from Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California. That flight occurred on January 17 and is the second acknowledged flight of the second-generation stealth bomber.

The U.S. Air Force confirmed the flight test had occurred after aviation enthusiasts noticed that an aircraft with call sign RAIDR13 appeared on flight tracking sites, AviationWeek.com reported. A similar call sign was also used by a chase aircraft during the first flight of the B-21 on Nov. 10 at Palmdale, California.

"I can confirm the B-21 flew today," an Air Force spokesperson told reporters. "Flight testing is a critical step in the test campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and 412th Test Wing's B-21 Combined Test Force to provide survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies, and partners."

B-21 Raider: Multiple Flights?

It was previously announced that six prototypes of the B-21 were being produced, and according to TheDrive.com, the aircraft that flew from Edwards AFB on Wednesday was the same Raider that made the maiden flight in November. That bomber – nicknamed Cerberus, after the multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld in Greek mythology – arrived at Edwards at the conclusion of its maiden flight.

An Air Force official further told TheDrive that it was not the bomber's first flight from the base. The Air Force has not confirmed how many test flights have been conducted of the B-21 Raider. The 420th Flight Test Squadron was officially reactivated in 2019 to become the centerpiece of the B-21 Combined Test Force – and the unit had previously served as the main component of the Combined Test Force for the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the B-21's predecessor.

The Future Backbone of the U.S. Air Force Bomber Fleet

It was only 13 months ago that the Raider was officially unveiled at a ceremony at Northrop Grumman's facility in Palmdale. It was the first new U.S. Air Force strategic bomber to be introduced to the public in a generation and the first since the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit made its public debut back in November 1988. While similar in appearance to the B-2, the Raider is actually a generational leap in aircraft technology and development.

The B-21 Raider was developed to be the multifunctional backbone of the modernized bomber fleet, gradually replacing the aging B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers now in service. A dual-capable penetrating strike stealth aircraft, the B-21 will be capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions.

Northrop Grumman was awarded the contract to produce the next-generation bomber in 2015, and the company quickly assembled a nationwide team to design, test, and build the B-21.

The aircraft was developed to employ an open systems architecture that would enable rapid future capability integration to keep pace with the highly contested threat environment. In addition, The Raider's design is based on firm requirements with existing and mature technology to control program costs. In fact, the plane's prime contractor, Northrop Grumman, has been directed to use production processes, production tooling, and a production workforce that ensures sustained and seamless production while avoiding unnecessary costs.

Though the precise date as to when the B-21 will enter service is unknown, and likely won't be until the end of the decade at the earliest, basing decisions for the Raider have already been made.

Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB), South Dakota will become the first Main Operating Base and formal training unit for the B-21. Whiteman AFB, Missouri, and Dyess AFB, Texas, are the preferred locations for the remaining home bases. Each will receive aircraft as they become available.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

All images are U.S. Air Force/Creative Commons.