Photo: Getty Images
The United States Air Force unveiled the first in-flight photos of its newest nuclear stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, during ongoing ground and air testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, CBS News reports.
The futuristic warplane "continues to make progress toward becoming the backbone of the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet," the Air Force said in a statement shared on its official website.
Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, previously highlighted B-21 flight testing while appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on May 8.
“We are in the flight test program, the flight test program is proceeding well. It is doing what flight test programs are designed to do, which is helping us learn about the unique characteristics of this platform, but in a very, very effective way," Hunter said when asked about the B-21 program, noting that the B-21 Raider will be the first aircraft that is more digital than not.
The long-range strike stealth bomber is set to incrementally replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers and play a key role in meeting national security goals with the Air Force set to build 100 new warplanes. The B-21 Raider will be the first new American bomber aircraft introduced in more than 30 years, though nearly all other details of the program are classified.