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BREAKING
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street

US to unmask high-tech B-21 stealth bomber

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 2 Dec 2022 09:05
3 Min Read

The B-21, which will cost about $700 million per plane, will eventually replace the B-1 and B-2 aircraft that initially flew during the Cold War.

  • x
  • The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stands ready to be unveiled. (Northrop Grumman photograph)
    The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stands ready to be unveiled. (Northrop Grumman photograph)

The US Air Force will showcase its new B-21 Raider on Friday, a high-tech stealth bomber that can reportedly carry nuclear and conventional missiles and is meant to operate without a crew.

The B-21, which will cost about $700 million per plane and will be the first new US bomber in decades, will eventually replace the B-1 and B-2 aircraft that initially flew during the Cold War.

US Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said, as quoted by AFP, that “the B-21 will be the backbone of our future bomber force. It will possess the range, access, and payload to penetrate the most highly-contested threat environments and hold any target around the globe at risk."

The first B-21 flight is scheduled for next year, and the Air Force intends to purchase at least 100 of the aircraft, as per Stefanek.

Six of the planes are presently being assembled and tested at Northrop Grumman's factory in Palmdale, California, where the reveal will take place.

Many details about the aircraft are being kept under wraps, but it supposedly provides considerable improvements over existing bombers in the US fleet.

Related News

US $138bln nuclear modernization plan fuels nuclear arms race concerns

US Air Force to expand manned bomber force with B-21 Raider

Uncrewed flight is one of the new capabilities provided by the B-21. According to Stefanek, the plane is "provisioned for the eventuality, but there has been no decision to fly without a crew."

F-35 problems mounting

This came as the number of major flaws plaguing the US's F-35 fighter jets is mounting, meanwhile, the Pentagon is keeping the specifics of the problems under wraps.

On Oct.20, an F-35 fighter jet, the newest fighter in the US Navy fleet, crashed at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. The pilot ejected and was taken to a hospital for observation, as per an announcement by the 388th Fighter Wing.

This was not the first-ever crash involving the F-35C stealth fighter plane. On January 24, a US Navy F35C Lightning II combat jet, which was conducting exercises in the South China Sea, crashed during an attempt to land on the US aircraft carrier's deck.

On 17 Nov 2021, an F35 fighter from the biggest British aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during a routine flight over the sea.

F-35As, were rated as "operationally unready" 234 times over a year and a half since January 2021 in South Korea due to malfunctions, according to South Korean lawmakers.

The multi-billion project's future is looking quite grim, with grounded fifth-generation fighters only being able to carry out missions for 12 days on average in 2021 and 11 days in the first half of 2022.

  • B-21 stealth bomber
  • US fleet
  • US Air Force
  • B-21

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