Key Points and Summary – Aviation photographer Jarod Hamilton captured video of a second B-21 Raider departing Plant 42 (Palmdale, CA), confirming service leaders’ recent hints that “test bird two” would fly soon.
-The jet appeared without the prominent nose air-data boom seen on the first prototype, suggesting it’s further along in instrumentation fit.
A B-21 Raider is unveiled at Northrop Grumman’s manufacturing facility on Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, Dec. 2, 2022. The B-21 will be a long-range, highly survivable, penetrating strike stealth bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua M. Carroll)
We Have Questions – The Air Force has signaled interest in 145+ Raiders—and some argue 200—as Congress funds added capacity. Officials still avoid “artificial” schedule pressure, but the second flight reinforces that the program is advancing through developmental test.
More B-21 Raider Bombers Flying
The B-21 Raider had its formal unveiling in December 2022. The first photographs of the bomber in flight were released by the Air Force in May 2024. Last month, the Air Force stated it hoped to have the second pre-production B-21 flying by the end of 2025.
In late July, Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, head of Air Force Global Strike Command, told Air and Space Forces that the second B-21 would fly shortly.
“We should see the second developmental test bird fly shortly,” Bussiere said in that interview.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, told The War Zone in late August that the the second B-21 would hopefully take off by the end of the year, but that “we’re not going to ever give them an artificial date that they have to make if it doesn’t bring the test program along to where they need to be.”
There are believed to be six B-21 Raiders on the production line, although the exact number is classified.
Northrop Grumman on its website describes the B-21 as “the next evolution of the U.S. Air Force strategic bomber fleet and the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft to reach the skies” and calls it the product of more than three decades of innovation.
The Bird Appears
Now, a photo has indeed emerged of the second B-21 in flight.
According to TWZ, the photo came from Jarod Hamilton, a photographer who specializes in “low-level aircraft photography.” Hamilton shared footage of the second B-21 Raider taking off from the Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif.
Hamilton posted the video to X on Thursday morning, with the caption “the second B-21 Raider has flown.”
He told TWZ that he and a group of plane spotters saw the B-21 roll out, then “we heard the engine noise and thought maybe they were doing taxi tests. But when the F-16 showed up, I knew.”
The photographer was awed by the experience, he told the outlet.
The B-21 Raider is designed with an open systems architecture, enabling rapid insertion of mature technologies and allowing the aircraft to be effective as threats evolve. The bomber was designed up front for supportability and maintainability-based upon decades of lessons learned and best practices from prior aircraft programs-to improve long-term affordability and outcomes in operations and sustainment. The B-21 first flight is anticipated to take place in calendar year 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo)
“The sound, the power, I’ll never forget,” Hamilton said.
Per The Aviationist, the second B-21 Raider is slightly different from the first.
“The second aircraft was not equipped with the air data probe and trailing cone, which are usually mounted on prototype aircraft as part of initial flight testing,” the report said.
The B-21 Raider Bomber Questions We Keep Asking
The reconciliation bill passed by Congress and signed by the president earlier this year allocated $4.5 billion to increase production capacity.
Bussiere, Air and Space reported, testified earlier this year before the Senate Armed Services Committee that he supports “assessing the increase of the production from 100 to 145,” with 100 set as the benchmark all the way back in 2018.
Writing for the Heritage Foundation in June, Shawn Barnes and Robert Peters called the B-21 “the future of America’s strategic bomber force.” The authors argued that the number of B-21 Raider jets should rise to 200, and a second production facility should be added.
“Although the cost of building a second facility is likely to approach $800 million,4 the return on investment is extraordinarily high,” they wrote.
Meanwhile, National Defense magazine looked at the debate over the Air Force’s ideal bomber mix.
“The Air Force plans to transition over time to 100 B-21s and 75 B-52Js — a modernized version of the B-52,” the story quotes Bussiere as saying.
While the Air Force currently has 140 aircraft, some in the service are pushing to increase the fleet to as many as 220.
“If we look at the threats today, we look at the viability of the B-21 to deter both conventional and non-conventional conflict … we’re starting to see a number of combatant commanders and a number of members of the department as well as Congress asking the question, is 100 enough?,” Bussiere said, according to National Defense.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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