The once-forgotten flying wing has taken over the US's bomber fleet

Sat, 03/09/2024 - 06:00

The B-21 "Raider", the long-range stealth bomber that can be armed with nuclear weapons, rolls onto the runway at Northrop Grumman's site at Air Force Plant 42, during the first flight of the United States Air Force's B-21 "Raider", in Palmdale, California, U.S., November 10, 2023.
REUTERS/David Swanson

The B-21 bomber pairs cutting edge tech with a throwback aircraft design.
It is based on a visionary aircraft design that dates back to World War II.
That aircraft, the YB-49, minimized drag but proved too hard to fly with 1940s technology.

Described by Northrop Grumman as a sixth-generation bomber, the US Air Force's new B-21 Raider pairs the most modern stealth and targeting technology with what is actually a throwback-style design.