U.S. Air Force Releases Video of B-21 Raider Taking Off, Landing

A B-21 Raider takes off at Edwards Air Force Base, California. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force/ screenshot]

The U.S. Air Force released footage of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber undergoing flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Wednesday’s video (below) marks the service's first reveal of the aircraft's flight operations.

READ MORE: B-21 Flight Testing, Production 'Continues to Make Progress,' Air Force Says

"A B-21 Raider conducts flight testing, which includes ground testing, taxiing, and flying operations in California," the Air Force said in a statement accompanying the video. "Flight testing is a critical step in the test campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and 412th Test Wing’s B-21 Combined Test Force (CTF) to provide survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies, and partners.

“The B-21 will be the backbone of the service’s future bomber force, and 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 service said.

The stealth strike bomber was unveiled in December 2022 and officially moved into low-rate production earlier this year. In January, Northrop Grumman said six B-21 bombers are in various stages of final assembly and testing at its facility in Palmdale, California.

READ MORE: B-21 Raider Takes First Flight

The Air Force has said it intends to purchase at least 100 of the aircraft. Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB), South Dakota, has been designated as the first main operating facility for the B-21 and its formal training unit. The bomber is expected to arrive at Ellsworth by the mid-2020s.

Friday, the Air Force announced that the service's newest bomber would also be based at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, and Dyess AFB, Texas.

“We continue to achieve B-21 production milestones,” General Thomas Bussiere, Air Force Global Strike Command commander, said in a statement. “Through digital engineering and open architecture design, we are getting an agile strategic deterrent that delivers a decisive response as required.”