Page 10 - B 21 News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

A short video shot by a freelance photojournalist this morning confirms that Northrop Grumman’s B-21 has taken to the skies.

Despite a futuristic appearance, the B-2 is slated for retirement – to make way for the upcoming B-21 Raider. And while the B-21 looks remarkably similar to the B-2, the B-2’s retirement will mark a sad day for aviation enthusiasts who have spent the last thirty years remarking upon the B-2’s looks and features.

Initially, plans called for this missile to enter service in 2030, but it now appears that the weapon could be ready much earlier.

In comments given to the National Interest, former Trump National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien explained that the U.S. Air Force needs 300-400 B-21 Raider stealth bombers considering the growing threat from China's rising military might. 

With news breaking recently that Washington, at most, can only count on a handful of the new stealth bombers in the coming years - caping out at being able to build ten B-21s per year by sometime in the 2030s - many are asking an obvious question: how many B-21 Raiders does the U.S. military need?