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Pentagon reveals secretive B-21 bomber in California

The aircraft, named the Raider, is expected to be more advanced than any other now in the U.S. military’s arsenal

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December 2, 2022 at 10:18 p.m. EST
Northrop Grumman Corp. rolled out the first plane in a new fleet of long-range stealth nuclear bombers for the U.S. Air Force on December 2. (Video: Reuters)
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PALMDALE, Calif. — The Pentagon and defense contractor Northrop Grumman unveiled the U.S. military’s bomber of the future on Friday, showcasing an aircraft cloaked in secrecy for years and set to serve as a backbone of Air Force combat operations for decades to come.

The B-21 Raider, with a distinctive batwing shape, was pulled forward out of a hangar here while awash in blue light as cinematic music played and Northrop Grumman employees cheered. The ceremony was held at the company’s facility at Air Force Plant 42, a heavily guarded, government-owned manufacturing facility north of Los Angeles, where some of the military’s most highly classified work occurs.