Pentagon Selects Bases to Host New B-21 Raider Bomber

Photo: The B-21 Raider makes its debut in Palmdale, California, on November 10, 2023

US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has approved the second and third bases for the B-21 Raider, the US Air Force's newest bomber.

The B-21 is the first example of a new series of American bombers, the development of which is being carried out in conditions of the strictest secrecy. If necessary, the aircraft will be capable of delivering conventional and nuclear weapons around the world, using its long- and medium-range refueling capabilities, Voice of America reports.

The Raider made its first flight in November last year; however, the aircraft is not yet in full-scale production and is still undergoing flight testing. Once that is complete, the Air Force is expected to buy at least 100 of these combat aircraft.

According to a press release published on the Air Force website on Friday, the B-21 Raider will be based at the large Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and Dyess Air Force Base, located near the Texas city of Abilene.

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The selected locations will become the second and third locations for the bombers, respectively; Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota was previously selected as the first base to receive the B-21s.

“We continue to achieve production milestones for the B-21,” said General Thomas Bussiere, head of the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command, stressing that the United States will receive “a flexible strategic deterrent that can provide a decisive response if necessary.”

The B-21 Raider is being developed by engineers at Northrop Grumman. It was first unveiled by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a presentation on December 2, 2022. The B-21 is built using stealth rules – a special technology that allows for very weak reflection of radar waves. “No other long-range bomber can compare with the B-21 in effectiveness. Fifty years of advances in stealth technology have gone into this aircraft. Even the most sophisticated air defense systems will have a hard time spotting the B-21 in the sky,” Austin said.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga