Northrop Grumman and the US government on Monday night unveiled the latest nuclear stealth bomber built for the US military.
The B-21 Raider is being touted as the latest and greatest in a long line of US military bombers, and the unveiling ceremony, held before a range of military personnel, Northrop Grumman employees and elected officals in an Air Force facility in Palmdale, California, was full of praise for American innovation and military power.
The B-21 Raider is the first new bomber built for the American military in some three decades and was reportedly developed with an eye towards a potential future conflict with China. Nearly every aspect of its development was kept secret since the Raider contract was awarded seven years ago.
“We are providing America’s warfighters with an advanced aircraft offering a combination of range, payload, and survivability,” Northrop Grumman wrote of its new bomber. “The B-21 Raider will be capable of penetrating the toughest defenses to deliver precision strikes anywhere in the world. The B-21 is the future of deterrence.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was one of the government officials who spoke at the ceremony, calling it a “proud day for the United States Air Force and our country.”
“Congratulations to the whole team at Northrop Grumman for getting this big job done,” Mr Austin said.
Mr Austin said the bomber will have the capability to support US-aligned forces “across the full spectrum of operations”, giving the country’s military an “edge that will last for decades to come”.
NPRreported on Friday about the changes on the new bomber model that will theoretically make it harder to detect than the current one, better able to disguise itself and use new propulsion technologies. Six B-21 Raiders are currently in production, with plans to build up to 100 in the works.
It is not clear how much each bomber will cost to build, though estimates place the price per bomber at well over $750m. The US continues to maintain the largest defense budget in the world, with the Department of Defense recieving a budget of around $722bn in 2022. That budget is expected to increase again in the next fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the US remains unique among industralised nations in not providing free healthcare, paid family and medical leave and free higher education to its citizens.
Northrop Grumman stands to profit immensely from the stealth bomber project, with stock in the company expected to increase in value as production ramps up on the bombers.
