As Strategic Bomber Nears Its Release Day, the Finishing Touches Are Put Into Place

On December 2nd, Northrop Grumman will roll out the first B-21 Raider from Air Force Plant 41 in Palmdale, California. 

Announced earlier this year, the US Air Force will show off its  survivable, long-range, penetrating bomber to an invite-only crowd of industry associates, political figures, and a carefully curated list of media representatives. 

The new 6th-gen aircraft will undoubtedly be a subject of worldwide interest, but some photographers may be crestfallen at the images released of the brand-new, long-awaited aircraft. In an effort to guard some of the Raider's secrets, pictures will be limited in resolution and scope, with the event's images likely to remain the biggest release of imagery for a while afterward. The Air Force doesn't seem to be in a rush to disclose the aircraft from every angle just yet, at least, with no new art or imagery slated to be released to the public on the 2nd. 

The important news is that the event is still on for the first week of December, as outlined by USAF personnel last month. The first B-21 is a work in progress even still, requiring its last battery of engine runs, taxi testing, and ground evaluation as it prepares for its first test flight. The aircraft that will be presented will not have taken flight any time soon, that milestone remains somewhere in the midst of 2023. Currently, 6 B-21s stand in various stages of construction, though how far along in the process remains undisclosed. 

FMI: www.af.mil