US unveils new stealth bomber, B-21 Raider, the first in over 30 years
Washington, Dec 2 (EFE).- The Pentagon debuted the B-21 Raider, America’s first nuclear stealth bomber in more than three decades, to the world on Friday.
The gauzy silver curtain was raised to reveal the new bomber, illuminated in the backdrop by blue and white lights, at the US Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.
While the bomber and its development have been kept under wraps, Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider is purported to be the most advanced combat aircraft to date.
In the next months, the American forces are anticipated to add up to six planes.
The B-2 Spirit, which debuted in 1988, was the last US-made bomber.
The newest bomber is widely regarded as the Pentagon’s response to growing fears about a potential battle with China.
The fighters are intended to sustain lengthy missions and have a massive fighting capability.
According to Northrop Grumman, the bomber can penetrate enemy air defense lines and carry out attacks anywhere in the world.
“The B-21 joins the nuclear triad as a visible and flexible deterrent designed for the US Air Force to meet its most complex missions,” Northrop Grumman said in a statement.
CEO Kathy Warden said the fighter “defines a new era in technology and strengthens America’s role of delivering peace through deterrence.”
The manufacturer said the B-21 could network across the battlespace to multiple systems and into all domains.
Supported by a digital ecosystem throughout its lifecycle, the B-21 can quickly evolve through rapid technology upgrades that provide new capabilities to outpace future threats, it said.
The aircraft can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons.
Each bomber costs $692 million, and the US Air Force plans to buy at least a hundred.
The B-21 Raider is named in honor of the Doolittle Raids of World War II when 80 men, led by Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle, and 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers set off on a mission that changed the course of World War II.
The designation B-21 recognizes the Raider as the first bomber of the 21st century. EFE
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