Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider
American stealth bomber aircraft
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Interest in “Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-07-19.
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Key Takeaways
- The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is an American nuclear-capable subsonic stealth strategic bomber in development for the United States Air Force (USAF) by Northrop Grumman.
- Named "Raider" after the Doolittle Raiders of World War II, the B-21 is meant to complement the Rockwell B-1 Lancer and Northrop B-2 Spirit, replace them by 2040, and possibly replace the 1950s Boeing B-52 Stratofortress after that.
- Unlike previous bombers, the B-21 is designed primarily for Indo-Pacific Command operations in a potential conflict with China.
- The bomber emerged from the Air Force's LRS-B program, which began in 2011 and awarded Northrop Grumman the major development contract in 2015.
- By 2021, that date had slipped to 2027.
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Source summary
WikipediaThe Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is an American nuclear-capable subsonic stealth strategic bomber in development for the United States Air Force (USAF) by Northrop Grumman. Part of the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) program, it is to be an intercontinental strategic bomber that can deliver conventional and thermonuclear weapons. Named "Raider" after the Doolittle Raiders of World War II, the B-21 is meant to complement the Rockwell B-1 Lancer and Northrop B-2 Spirit, replace them by 2040, and possibly replace the 1950s Boeing B-52 Stratofortress after that.
The B-21 is a flying wing and lambda wing, similar to its B-2 predecessor, while being smaller and lighter. Unlike previous bombers, the B-21 is designed primarily for Indo-Pacific Command operations in a potential conflict with China. It is to carry the AGM-181 LRSO strategic nuclear cruise missile, the B61 Mod 12 and Mod 13 strategic/tactical nuclear bombs, and conventional ordnance including the AGM-158 JASSM-ER cruise missile. The bomber emerged from the Air Force's LRS-B program, which began in 2011 and awarded Northrop Grumman the major development contract in 2015. The USAF aimed to have the aircraft in service "in the mid-2020s". By 2021, that date had slipped to 2027.
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