The United States Air Force recently unveiled the first in-flight photos of its newest nuclear stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider. The aircraft began flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, the Air Force said in a statement, as the plane "continues to make progress toward becoming the backbone of the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet."
As per Fox News, the aircraft, which is set to replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers, is on track to meet its timeline for release, according to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition Andrew Hunter.
''It is doing what flight test programs are designed to do, which is helping us learn about the unique characteristics of this platform, but in a very, very effective way,'' Mr Hunter added.
The newly-released images show the bomber soaring above the clouds while another image shows the aircraft just above the runway.
See the images here:
The high-tech stealth bomber can carry nuclear and conventional weapons and is designed to be able to fly without a crew on board. Like the F-22 and F-35 warplanes, the B-21 will feature stealth technology, which minimizes an aircraft's signature through both its shape and the materials it is constructed from, making it harder for adversaries to detect.
''The B-21 is a long-range, highly survivable, penetrating strike stealth bomber that will incrementally replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers and will play a major role supporting national security objectives,'' the USAF explained in a statement.
It is designed with an open systems architecture, enabling rapid insertion of mature technologies, and allowing the aircraft to remain effective as threats evolve. The aircraft is expected to enter service in the mid-2020s with a production goal of a minimum of 100 aircraft.
B-21 is expected to enter service at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, which is planned as the first main operating base for the new aircraft.
The Air Force previously reported it expects to eventually have at least 100 of the new bombers.
