New B-21 Raider revealed tonight....

[Stampede]

The US Air Force will purchase about 100 to 125 Northrop Grumman B-21s according to the current plan. They will replace the Rockwell B-1 Lancers and Northrop B-2 Spirits. B-21s will serve along side upgraded B-52Hs - which will have new avionics and new turbofan engines. First flight is expected in 2023 and there are about 5 airframes undergoing construction now.

Rather hard to believe the B-2s will be replaced, but they are a fairly "old" design having first flown in 1989. Kinda shocking that the USAF will have new B-21s flying with reengined B-52s, that were designed in 1950 and built until 1962.

The live stream reveal is going to be shown on the Northrop Grumman website - set to begin at 8PM tonight EST.

B-21 Raider

B-21 Raider, the future of long-range strike, will be capable of penetrating the toughest defenses to deliver precision strikes anywhere in the world.

www.northropgrumman.com

First B-21 Raider Test Jet Aims To More Closely Mirror Production Examples

Ahead of the official rollout, Northrop Grumman is confident that its nearly production representative B-21 prototype will streamline testing.

www.thedrive.com

Northrop Grumman artwork below......very generic "B-2ish" without any details shown.

 

[Torn]

Got to keep the MIC rolling in the dough.

 

[SniperStraz]

Why a government would make the purchase of super secret stealth bombers major news is beyond me. To many mouths flapping about what our military is capable of. This kind of thing sickens me.

 

[GFB]

Got to keep the MIC rolling in the dough.

If the government didn't ask for it, there wouldn't be one.

 

[BobbyJack]

Is this a manned flight plane or a unmanned drone of some kind? manned and flight controlled from the ground at the same time?

Nothing surprises me anymore.

 

[Stampede]

Here ya go...........

Not showing much detail at this point.

 

[Stampede]

Is this a manned flight plane or a unmanned drone of some kind? manned and flight controlled from the ground at the same time?

Nothing surprises me anymore.

Based on what I read - two man crew.

 

[Torn]

If the government didn't ask for it, there wouldn't be one.

Retired General takes consulting job with the MIC to convince active duty Generals they need to order a new bomber so they can get a consulting job with the MIC when they retire.

 

[GFB]

Retired General takes consulting job with the MIC to convince active duty Generals they need to order a new bomber so they can get a consulting job with the MIC when they retire.

It's actually probably worse than that if you were more familiar but I will avoid further derail.

 

[HERMET]

Why a government would make the purchase of super secret stealth bombers major news is beyond me. To many mouths flapping about what our military is capable of. This kind of thing sickens me.

I'm sure the Chinese already know more about the plane then we do.