US to reveal new B-21 Stealth bomber

The US military will finally reveal to the public its new B-21 Raider stealth bomber, which has been shrouded in secrecy since it began the project in 2014, an American senator has declared. 

Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota made the announcement following a “classified visit” on July 15 to the B-21 Raider production facility in Palmdale, California, the US-based military.com news outlet reported Friday, adding that the project is on track for a first flight in 2023.

"While much of the information I received on my visit is classified, I am pleased to report the B-21 is on time and on budget," Rounds emphasized in a press release cited in the report, adding: "The public can expect the B-21 to be revealed later this year."

"The B-21 is one of the most advanced aircraft to ever be developed," Rounds boasted. "We are getting closer to bringing this state-of-the-art platform home to Ellsworth Air Force Base."

According to the report, the B-21 is being manufactured by Virginia-based Northrop Grumman. Budget documents indicate that producing the bomber will cost about $20 billion through 2027.

Ellsworth Air Force Base, just outside of Rapid City, South Dakota, was selected last summer as the first installation to receive the aircraft.

Senator John Thune of South Dakota spoke on the floor of the US Senate on Wednesday, saying he's aware that six B-21s are being developed and emphasizing on the need for Congress to pass the annual military spending bill because it also includes construction projects for Ellsworth to support the aircraft's mission.

The South Dakota Republican is pushing for more resources, overall, to accommodate an influx of service members who will come to the area along with the new B-21.

"I worked to include in this year's NDAA an extension of an authority for the secretary of defense to adjust Basic Allowance for Housing rates if an installation is experiencing a sudden increase in the number of service members assigned there," Thune said.

"This will help ensure that families at Ellsworth and elsewhere will have the resources they need to secure appropriate accommodations."

Thune added that "as many as 250 people per year, including 100 dependents" could be moving to the Rapid City area to support the B-21.

To date, the public has seen only realistic artist renderings of the next-generation stealth bomber, but a spokesman for Rounds' said an image of the B-21 itself should be coming soon.

Last year, according to the report, the US Air Force released a rendering of the B-21, showing the long-range stealth bomber taking off from Edwards Air Force Base, California, where it will someday be tested before taking on worldwide operations.

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