The B-21 Raider – the US Air Force’s secretive, next-generation, long-range stealth bomber – will be deployed to three US air force bases for testing once it finally rolls off the production line some time during the middle of the next decade, according to Sputnik.
The bomber, which was once known as the Long Range Strike Bomber (or LRS-B), will be deployed at the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, the Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota and the Dyess Air Force Base in Texas.
US Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson explained that, since these bases have hosted older American bombers before, they would be well-suited to host the Raider.
Details about the B-21, including the cost of the program and how much the government has already been spent on R&D are shrouded in mystery. Indeed, the Pentagon has said that it could tip its hand to America’s enemies just by revealing how much the bomber cost.
The bomber will also be tested at Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale, Cali.
Two years ago, former USAF Secretary Deborah Lee James unveiled an artist rendering of the bomber – which essentially encompasses all of the information publicly released about the warplane. Watch the reveal below:
USAF is expected to make a final decision about where the bombers will be based in 2019 after compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and other regulations. The B-21 will replace B-1 and B-2 aircraft.
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