WASHINGTON: The United States plans to unveil this week the B-21 Raider, a high-tech stealth bomber that can carry nuclear and conventional weapons and is designed to be able to fly without a crew on board.

The B-21 _ which is on track to cost nearly $700 million per plane and is the first new US bomber in decades — will gradually replace the B-1 and B-2 aircraft, which first flew during the Cold War.

“The B-21 will be the backbone of our future bomber force. It will possess the range, access and payload to penetrate the most highly-contested threat environments and hold any target around the globe at risk,” US air force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said.

The first B-21 flight is expected to take place next year, and the air force plans to buy at least 100 of the aircraft, Stefanek said.

Manufacturer Northrop Grumman said six of the planes are currently in different stages of assembly and testing at its facility in Palmdale, California, where the unveiling will take place.

The bomber will be a key part of the US “nuclear triad”, which consists of weapons that can be launched from the land, air and sea.

“For nuclear deterrence, the bomber fleet provide flexibility to US nuclear posture, and redundance should any of the other legs fail,” said Amy Nelson, a fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank.

Among the new capabilities offered by the B-21 is the potential for uncrewed flight. Stefanek said the aircraft is “provisioned for the possibility, but there has been no decision to fly without a crew”.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2022