The US Air Force unveiled its next generation stealth strategic bomber, the B-21 Raider.
The Air Force held a B-21 unveiling event yesterday (2nd) at the Northrop Grumman plant in Palmdale, California.
It is the first time in about 30 years since the B-2 Spirit bomber that first flew in 1989 that the United States has unveiled a new strategic bomber.
The B-21 is a strategic bomber capable of operating nuclear weapons and can carry out missions anywhere in the world in secret. In particular, it is said to be equipped with state-of-the-art stealth capabilities and displayed on an air defense radar the size of a golf ball.
“Even the most sophisticated air defense systems will have a hard time detecting the B-21,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the event.
In addition, with the latest computer technology, the B-21 can automatically respond to new targets and can be operated unmanned.
The Air Force has been informed that it intends to use the B-21 from the mid-2020s and operate around 100 units.
Bloomberg News estimates that it will cost at least $203 billion to develop, purchase and operate the B-21 bomber. The production cost per unit is approximately $692 million.
VOA News
