Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider

The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is an American 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 a stealth 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 B-21 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.

The B-21 is part of the effort to modernize the nuclear triad of the United States, along with the LGM-35 Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile and Columbia-class submarine. The B-21 is expected to double the US nuclear-capable bomber fleet from 60 to 120.

As of 2025, many aspects of the B-21 special access program were still highly classified, though some information has been made public since 2015. The first B-21 aircraft was unveiled in December 2022 at Northrop Grumman's production facilities in Palmdale, California. The first flight of a B-21 took place on 10 November 2023. Two other B-21s were in ground testing by September 2024, and a second B-21 took flight a year later.