US Air Force B-21 bomber

On July 7th, the US Air Force released a new artistic rendering of the B-21 bomber, set against the backdrop of Edwards Air Force Base in California, where all B-21 flights and ground tests were conducted.

B21 Nickname; The Raiders ";, It is the latest stealth bomber developed by the US Air Force based on the B2 stealth bomber.The size is smaller than B2,The first generation Shenji B2 is still the only stealth strategic bomber in the world today. It was developed in the 1980s and commissioned in 1997, with a maximum flight speed of 0.95 Mach and a maximum range of 11000 kilometers. It also has super stealth capabilities and a large payload capacity.

The disadvantage of B2 is that it is too expensive. It costs 2.4 billion US dollars to manufacture one, which is equivalent to twice the gold price of the same weight of the body. Therefore, there are only 21 B2 aircraft in total, which the wealthy US military cannot afford.Although the US military has placed great emphasis on cost control in the development of the B-21, it has not stopped the trend of budget overruns. Previously, the estimated standalone cost of the B-21 was $550 million, but according to the US military's 2019 budget, the standalone cost of the B-21 has risen to $673 million.

In order to counter the active development of stealth strategic bombers by China and Russia, the B21 has been put on the agenda, with plans to equip 145 aircraft as it needs to penetrate the enemy's tight air defense network.It is expected that B21 will reach initial operational capability by 2030 and can rely on US military bases in Guam or Australia to pose a threat to the East Asian region.