Page 1 - Aerotech News and Review – October 3, 2025

JOURNAL OF AEROSPACE, DEFENSE INDUSTRY AND VETERANS NEWS
Second B-21 expands 412th test capabilities
Air Force News
Although their motto is, “We Live for Firsts,” mem- bers of the 412th Test Wing, with industry partners from Northrop Grumman, recently focused on number two — the second B-21 Raider to arrive at Edwards AFB.
The second stealth strategic bomber in the Raider fam- ily achieved first flight Sept. 11, 2025, launching from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif. The jet conducted sever- al hours of in-flight tests prior to landing at its new home.
The latest Raider’s arrival to the center of the Air Force’s test enterprise significantly enhances Air Force Materiel Command’s capacity to con- duct comprehensive B-21 test- ing and sustainment training.
Specifically, the addition of the second Raider expands the Air Force’s testing capa- bilities beyond initial flight performance checks, enabling progression into critical mis- sion systems and weapon in- tegration testing phases. This advancement marks a signifi- cant step toward operational readiness of the nation’s sixth-
Air Force photograph by Todd Schannuth
A B-21 Raider test aircraft lands at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., during ongoing developmental flight testing, Sept. 11, 2025. The B-21 will be the backbone of the bomber fleet; it will incrementally replace the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers.
Air Force photograph by Kyle Brasier
Airmen with the 912th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prepare to recover the second B-21 Raider to arrive for test and evaluation at Edwards AFB, Calif., Sept. 11, 2025. The arrival of a second test aircraft provides maintainers valuable hands-on experience with tools, data and processes that will support future operational squadrons.
Courtesy photograph
A second B-21 Raider, the world’s sixth-generation stealth bomber test aircraft arrives at Edwards AFB, Calif., Sept. 11, 2025. The addition of the second test aircraft expands mission systems and weapons integration testing, advancing the program toward operational readiness.
A second B-21 Raider, the nation’s sixth-generation stealth bomber, joins flight testing at Edwards AFB, Calif., Sept. 11, 2025. The program is a cornerstone of the Department of the Air Force’s nuclear modernization strategy, designed to deliver both conventional and nuclear payloads.
Northrop Grumman photograph
generation stealth bomber. “With the arrival of the sec- ond B-21 Raider, our f light test campaign gains substantial momentum,” said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. “We can now expedite critical evaluations of mission systems and weapons capabilities, directly supporting the stra- tegic deterrence and combat effectiveness envisioned for
this aircraft.”
The presence of multiple
test aircraft at Edwards also provides Air Force main- tainers invaluable hands-on experience in managing si- multaneous aircraft sustain- ment operations, testing the effectiveness of maintenance tools, technical data and the
logistical processes that will support future operational squadrons.
“The addition of a second B-21 to the flight test program accelerates the path to fielding,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. “By having more assets in the test environ- ment, we bring this capability to our warfighters faster, demon- strating the urgency with which we’re tackling modernization.”
Concurrent with the expand- ed flight-testing effort, fiscal year 2026 will see the launch of extensive military construction projects at all three designated B-21 main operating bases.
Ellsworth AFB, S.D., the first base set to receive opera- tional B-21 aircraft, is already
progressing rapidly on numer- ous infrastructure projects to ensure readiness when aircraft arrive.
“The B-21 Raider program represents a cornerstone of our strategic nuclear mod- ernization,” Allvin said. “The concurrent efforts in testing, sustainment preparation and infrastructure investments clearly illustrate our commit- ment to providing unmatched capabilities to deter and defeat threats well into the future.”
At Edwards, the future Air Force is flying today.
“The fact that these plat- forms are all coming here to be tested — every bomber in
______See B-21, on Page 12
Oct. 3, 2025 • VOlume 40, Issue 10 Serving the aerospace industry since 1986 www.aerotechnews.com www.facebook.com/aerotechnews
Use your smartphone to connect to our Website.