US unveils $700m, next-generation B-21 nuclear bomber | Army Information
US Air Drive plans to purchase at the least 100 B-21 Raider stealth bombers, which include a $700 million price ticket per aircraft.
The US has unveiled its newest high-tech strategic bomber – the B-21 Raider – which is able to carrying a nuclear payload and could be flown with no crew on board.
The subsequent-generation stealth bomber was rolled out at arm’s producer Northrop Grumman’s facility in California throughout a flashy ceremony attended by high US officers on Friday.
The US Air Drive plans to purchase at the least 100 of the B-21 plane, which comes with a $700m price ticket per aircraft, a Northrop Grumman spokesperson mentioned.
The disclosing of the brand new bombers comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions between the US, Russia and China amid the struggle in Ukraine and the territorial integrity of Taiwan.
Russian and Chinese language strategic bombers flew a joint eight-hour patrol over the western Pacific on Wednesday in a show of ongoing navy cooperation between the 2 nations.
China’s Defence Ministry known as the mission a “routine” effort in bolstering defence ties with Russia.
Moscow and Beijing are additionally presently growing strategic stealth bombers – China’s Xian H-20 and Russia’s nuclear-capable Tupolev PAK DA – that are anticipated to compete with the B-21.
Whereas the B-21 is able to taking to the air with no pilot, the US Air Drive mentioned the plane is “provisioned for the chance, however there was no choice to fly with no crew”.
“The B-21 Raider is the primary strategic bomber in additional than three a long time,” US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned in a ready assertion at Friday’s occasion.
Austin touted the plane’s vary and superior design.
“No different long-range bomber can match its effectivity,” Austin mentioned.
Unveiled in the present day, the B-21 Raider will likely be a dual-capable, penetrating-strike stealth bomber able to delivering each standard and nuclear munitions. The B-21 will kind the spine of the long run Air Drive bomber drive consisting of B-21s and B-52s.(U.S. Air Drive photograph) pic.twitter.com/X6KSU7sy6U
— U.S. Air Drive (@usairforce) December 3, 2022
“Fifty years of advances in low-observable expertise have gone into this plane,” he mentioned.
“Even probably the most subtle air defence techniques will battle to detect the B-21 within the sky.”
The B-21, which carries an analogous “flying wing” form to its predecessor, will likely be able to carrying standard and nuclear weapons around the globe utilizing long-range and midair refuelling capabilities.
Northrop Grumman has hailed the brand new planes as “the spine of our future bomber drive”.
The aerospace and design firm mentioned the long-range bomber’s first flight is anticipated to happen in 2023. Six of the long-range bombers are in varied phases of meeting and testing at its facility in California.
