On December 2 local time, the U.S. Air Force publicly demonstrated the B-21 "Raider" stealth strategic bomber for the first time. The unveiling ceremony was held at Northrop Grumman's factory in Palmdale, California.
This is the first time that the new generation of American B-21 "Raider" bomber developed by Northrop Grumman has been made public.
Both manufacturer Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force have called the B-21 a "generational leap in aircraft technology and development."
Tom Jones, director of Northrop Grumman's Aeronautical Systems Division, said the B-21's stealth capabilities, use of open systems architecture and the inclusion of Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) technology to share data across platforms advancement, which would make it the "first of a sixth-generation system."
JADC2 is said to be the U.S. Department of Defense's system for connecting sensors to weapon launch platforms across multiple operational domains.
The U.S. Air Force says the B-21 is slightly smaller than the B-2 and has a correspondingly reduced payload, but still has the capability to carry the giant GBU-57 ground penetrator.
At the same time, the B-21 can also perform nuclear strike missions, and will be certified by the B61 nuclear aerial bomb under development and the "long-range stand-off missile" equipped with nuclear warheads.
(Produced by Xu Miaoqiao)
Responsible editor: [Wang Kai]