Gen. Stephen Wilson, the U.S. Air Force’s vice chief of staff said the service intends to conduct the B-21 Raider bomber aircraft’s maiden flight by December 2021, National Defense Magazine reported Wednesday.
The Northrop Grumman-developed stealth aircraft is designed to carry nuclear and conventional weapon systems. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said at a Mitchell Institute event that the program is focusing on software integration work.
The current phase follows the aircraft’s recent critical design review that took place in early 2019. USAF plans to purchase a minimum of 100 new stealth bombers, the report noted.
