The U.S. Air Force on Thursday announced its second B-21 Raider has flown to Edwards Air Force Base in California, expanding the service’s capabilities to test the next-generation stealth bomber.
With two B-21s now at Edwards, the Air Force said it can now move into more advanced phases of testing, covering weapons integration and critical mission systems. Until now, B-21 testing has primarily focused on initial flight performance checks.
“With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said. “We can now expedite critical evaluations of mission systems and weapons capabilities, directly supporting the strategic deterrence and combat effectiveness envisioned for this aircraft.”
The B-21, which manufacturer Northrop Grumman touts as the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft, will be capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional weapons, and its advanced stealth is meant to allow it to carry out penetrating strike missions in enemy territory.
The bomber, named in honor of the Doolittle Raiders of World War II, is intended to replace the aging B-1B Lancer and B-2A Spirit bombers. Eventually, the Air Force plans to fly a two-bomber force comprised of at least 100 B-21s and 76 revamped B-52J Stratofortresses.
The Air Force and Northrop Grumman unveiled the first B-21 at a plant in Palmdale, California, in December 2022. Nearly a year later, in November 2023, that first bomber flew to Edwards, while Northrop continued work building additional B-21s under a low-rate initial production process.
Having two B-21s at Edwards will also give B-21 maintainers more hands-on experience with the bombers, the Air Force said. Maintenance training will include learning the best ways to manage simultaneous repairs and sustainment operations, testing how effective maintenance tools are, learning how to use its technical data and becoming familiar with logistical processes.
This will help the Air Force more quickly get the B-21 to a point where it can be used in normal operations, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said.
“The addition of a second B-21 to the flight test program accelerates the path to fielding,” Allvin said. “By having more assets in the test environment, we bring this capability to our warfighters faster, demonstrating the urgency with which we’re tackling modernization.”
The Air Force also said that in fiscal 2026 it will launch major construction projects at all three of the B-21’s designated operating bases: Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and Dyess Air Force Base in Texas.
“The B-21 Raider program represents a cornerstone of our strategic nuclear modernization,” Allvin said. “The concurrent efforts in testing, sustainment preparation, and infrastructure investments clearly illustrate our commitment to providing unmatched capabilities to deter and defeat threats well into the future.”
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.