bomber

A video has emerged that shows the maiden flight of a second pre-production B-21 Raider stealth bomber. Since July, U.S. Air Force officials have been openly talking about their hope to have two B-21s flying ‘soon.’

Jarod Hamilton, who also specializes in low-level aircraft photography, shared the footage of the B-21 taking off from the Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, at around 8:00 AM local time. The video, seen below, shows the bomber continuing to fly with its landing gear down, which is indicative of initial flight testing. The Raider does lack the air data probe and trailing cone that were seen when the very first B-21 flew back in 2023. An F-16 chase plane is also seen flying alongside.

“We [a group of plane spotters outside Plant 42] saw the B-21 roll out and then it sat there and we waited for it,” Hamilton told TWZ. “We heard the engine noise and thought maybe they were doing taxi tests. But when the F-16 showed up, I knew.”

“It was incredible,” he said of seeing the Raider take off. “The sound, the power, I’ll never forget.”

Hamilton said he did not know how long the flight may have lasted, but tracked it for a few minutes until it was out of sight. The bomber may have flown to Edwards Air Force Base, which is also in California and currently hosts the B-21 Combined Test Force.

TWZ has also reached out to the Air Force for confirmation and further details.

The first of six pre-production B-21s also made its maiden flight in November 2023 from Plant 42 and subsequently moved to Edwards. The Raider’s prime contractor, Northrop Grumman, is building the bombers at Plant 42, which is a major hub for advanced and often classified aerospace development work.

“So this is an event-based process, based on the test team, the contractor, [and] the program office. I believe it [the first flight of the second B-21] will happen by the end of the year, but 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,” Air Force Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara said during a virtual talk hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in August. “We’re going to proceed as we can, efficiently, effectively, and with a sense of urgency, but we’re also going to be event-based.”

“That’s really been the secret sauce to the B-21 right now, is no undue pressures. Let them do what they’re doing, and they’ll get us the world’s best aircraft here,” Gebara, who is currently Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, added at that time.

A second B-21 could make its first flight “shortly,” Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere, head of Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), had told Air & Space Forces Magazine in July. The service had previously told that outlet that its goal was for a pair of B-21s to be in flight testing in 2026. Northrop Grumman has also delivered at least two non-flying airframes to help with the test campaign.

Getting another B-21 into the air is an important new step forward for the Raider program that will allow for the further expansion of testing efforts. As of September 2024, the first flying B-21 was said to be making around two sorties every week from Edwards Air Force Base.

“The B-21 [program] is producing, its results-oriented in flight tests, basically on time, [and] basically on budget,” Gen. Gebara also said last month.

As it stands, the Air Force’s goal is to begin fielding the B-21 operationally before the end of the decade. The service also plans to buy at least 100 of the bombers, though that figure is increasingly expected to grow, as you can read more about here.

In the meantime, the Air Force’s current fleet of flying B-21s has now grown to two.

Update: 1:55 PM Eastern –

Jarod Hamilton has kindly shared additional still images from today’s B-21 flight from Palmdale with us.

Update: 3:35 PM Eastern –

The U.S. Air Force has now confirmed the first flight of the second B-21 and that the bomber has arrived at Edwards Air Force Base.

“With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in a statement. “We can now expedite critical evaluations of mission systems and weapons capabilities, directly supporting the strategic deterrence and combat effectiveness envisioned for this aircraft.”

The second B-21 Raider has taken flight! With two B-21s now flying, our test campaign accelerates.

We’re advancing mission system & weapons evaluations to ensure this aircraft delivers unmatched strategic deterrence and combat power for the @usairforce. #B21Raider #AirPower

— Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (@SecAFOfficial) September 11, 2025

“The addition of a second B-21 to the flight test program accelerates the path to fielding,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin also said in a statement. “By having more assets in the test environment, we bring this capability to our warfighters faster, demonstrating the urgency with which we’re tackling modernization.”

“The B-21 Raider program represents a cornerstone of our strategic nuclear modernization,” Allvin continued. “The concurrent efforts in testing, sustainment preparation and infrastructure investments clearly illustrate our commitment to providing unmatched capabilities to deter and defeat threats well into the future.”

An Air Force press release highlights the value of adding a second flying bomber to the B-21 Combined Test Force, as TWZ already noted.

“The addition of the second aircraft expands the Air Force’s testing capabilities beyond initial flight performance checks, enabling progression into critical mission systems and weapons integration testing phases. This advancement marks a significant step toward operational readiness of the nation’s sixth-generation stealth bomber,” according to the release. “The presence of multiple test aircraft at Edwards AFB also provides Air Force maintainers invaluable hands-on experience in managing simultaneous aircraft sustainment operations, testing the effectiveness of maintenance tools, technical data and the logistical processes that will support future operational squadrons.”

“Concurrent with the expanded flight-testing effort, fiscal year 2026 will see the launch of extensive military construction projects at all three designated B-21 main operating bases,” the release adds. “Ellsworth AFB, S.D., the first base set to receive operational B-21 aircraft, is already progressing rapidly on numerous infrastructure projects to ensure readiness when the aircraft arrive.”

Northrop Grumman has also put out its own press release following today’s first flight of the second B-21, which it described as “robust.”

“The next phase of flight test moves beyond flight performance and into the weapons and mission systems that make B-21 an unrivaled stealth bomber. An enhanced software package will demonstrate how Northrop Grumman will deliver seamless upgrades to the B-21 fleet, ensuring its mission capability and weapons evolve to outpace any threat,” the company’s release explains. “The flight test expansion complements a robust ground test campaign that includes multiple B-21 aircraft. Engineers have rigorously tested the B-21 to certify it can fly in the most extreme mission conditions and are demonstrating the B-21’s durability by simulating lifetimes of flight conditions. These test results continue to consistently outperform digital modeling predictions, reinforcing confidence in the B-21’s performance and progress.”

“Northrop Grumman is preparing the Air Force to operate and maintain the B-21 through its advanced training and sixth-gen fleet management tools. The company is developing comprehensive training capabilities – to include high-fidelity, full-motion simulators, immersive labs and virtual spaces – as part of the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. Northrop Grumman is creating training content and devices for future pilots, weapons loaders, maintainers and support personnel to operate the world’s most advanced aircraft,” it continues. “Future Air Force maintainers will use the B-21 Fleet Management Tool Northrop Grumman is developing today for the aircraft’s sustainment and maintenance activities. Already equipped with flight test and performance data and informed by decades of sustainment experience across a variety of systems, the Fleet Management Tool will keep the B-21 mission ready for the American warfighter.”

Special thanks again to Jarod Hamilton for sharing the new imagery of the B-21 flying from Palmdale today with us.

Contact the author: [email protected]

The U.S. Air Force is hoping to see a second pre-production B-21 Raider stealth bomber take to the skies before the end of the year. The service also says it has conducted four more flight tests of the AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile, which will be a key nuclear weapon for the B-21, so far this year.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, provided updates on the B-21 program and other topics today during a virtual talk hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

“So this is an event-based process, based on the test team, the contractor, [and] the program office. I believe it [the first flight of the second B-21] will happen by the end of the year, but 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,” Gebara said. “We’re going to proceed as we can, efficiently, effectively, and with a sense of urgency, but we’re also going to be event-based.

“That’s really been the secret sauce to the B-21 right now, is no undue pressures. Let them do what they’re doing, and they’ll get us the world’s best aircraft here,” Gebara added.

In July, Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere, head of Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), had told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the second B-21 could take to the skies “shortly.” The service had previously told that outlet that its goal was for two B-21s to be flying in 2026.

The first of six pre-production B-21s made its maiden flight in November 2023. As of September 2024, the bomber was said to be flying around two sorties every week from Edwards Air Force Base in California in support of ongoing testing.

The B-21’s manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, has also delivered two non-flying airframes to help with the test campaign. As of January, Northrop Grumman had received two contracts for low-rate initial production of additional B-21s, as well.

“The B-21 [program] is producing, its results-oriented in flight tests, basically on time, [and] basically on budget,” Gen. Gebara added in his remarks today.

U.S. military officials and members of Congress have described the Raider as a model acquisition program for years now. The Air Force’s goal is to begin flying B-21s operationally before the end of the decade.

When asked today about the expected size of the B-21 fleet, Gen. Gebara said that work is still ongoing to reach a firm number. The Air Force’s stated plan now is to acquire at least 100 Raiders, but that figure is widely expected to grow. Congress notably included $4.5 billion in funding to help accelerate B-21 production in a reconciliation funding bill, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July. The Pentagon is asking for billions more to support the Raider program in its 2026 Fiscal Year budget request.

“I think the work you’ve seen from the Congress to get us those additional funding [sic] tells me a couple things that are very important. One is, it’s going to go a long ways to be able to help us facilitize and get to the point where we can build this thing at scale,” Gebara said. “I think the other piece to it, though, is it’s an absolute show of confidence by the Congress that we’re on the right track on this program. We’ve done a lot of work to hold changes to the minimum, to allow the program office and the contractor to get after it, and it’s paying dividends.”

The final B-21 fleet “numbers will absolutely be reliant on the work STRATCOM [U.S. Strategic Command] is doing, on what is sufficient,” Gebara added. “But it’s important to remember this is also the backbone of our conventional force. And so we aren’t building out B-21 numbers only for our [nuclear] triad. We’re also building it out for our long-range [conventional] strike capability. And so all that will that will go into it.”

Gebara’s latter points here are directly in line with comments from Air Force Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost at a separate Mitchell Institute virtual talk earlier this month. Armagost, who is commander of the Eighth Air Force, which oversees all of the Air Force’s current bomber fleets, spoke at length about the new operational possibilities that will come from having a substantial number of B-21s, particularly in light of the ‘silver bullet’ nature of the current B-2 force. The Air Force has just 19 B-2s, not all of which are ever available for taskings, conventional or nuclear, at any one time. This inherently imposes limitations, which the B-21 is not expected to be burdened with, despite being a smaller aircraft with less ordnance capacity per bomber, as you can read more about in detail here.

“Our bomber force right now is optimized for raids and small-scale, a few nights at a time [type operations],” Gen. Gebra said today, something that was highlighted by the Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on nuclear sites in Iran in June. “There’s no guarantee that’ll be the case in the future.”

All this being said, the B-21 will still have a critical nuclear deterrent role, including as a launch platform for the stealthy AGM-181 LRSO cruise missile. The LRSO is also set to be part of the future arsenal for the Air Force’s B-52 bombers, which are being deeply upgraded, overall, as you can learn more about here.

“Our LRSO missile, which will go on our bomber force, has had four successful flight tests in 2025 alone,” Gebera said during today’s talk. “Based on time, based on budget, it’s going very well.”

Flight testing of the LRSO has already been underway for years. However, other details about the highly classified missile, which Raytheon is been developing, remain limited. The Air Force released the first-ever public rendering of the missile, seen below, in June. You can find TWZ‘s previous analysis of that image, which may not necessarily reflect the current design, here.

The B-21 and LRSO are also both part of a larger Long-Range Strike (LRS) family of systems, much of which remains in the classified realm, as TWZ has explored in the past.

By all indications, the B-21 program continues to make steady progress, with a second Raider set to take to the skies sometime in the coming weeks or months.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Wilder has now stopped 43 opponents in 44 wins, many in dramatic fashion.

But since his trilogy with Briton Fury – a brutal, history-making rivalry that saw him floored five times and stopped twice – Wilder has never quite looked the same.

Those defeats appeared to drain not just his record but his aura, confidence, and perhaps his trust in the sport.

In the aftermath, Wilder made unsubstantiated claims of loaded gloves, spiked water and betrayal from within his team, drawing ridicule and alienating some fans.

A long-rumoured bout with Anthony Joshua seemed close in late 2023, but Wilder was soundly beaten on points by New Zealand’s Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia. It was a flat, uninspired display that derailed the Joshua fight and raised fresh doubts about Wilder’s future.

Then came the crushing fifth-round defeat to Zhang last year – a loss that, to many, looked like the end.

Wilder vanished from the spotlight. He went quiet on social media and drifted off the radar.

He insists he never planned to walk away and says he had been working with a sports psychologist to help him heal and rekindle his love for boxing.

This comeback, he says, was always part of the plan.

A TERRORIST who influenced the Manchester Arena bomber has walked free from jail – two months after a parole board deemed him “high risk”.

Abdalraouf Abdallah, 31, was released from HMP Full Sutton in East Yorkshire today.

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Islamic extremist Abdallah was a childhood friend of Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedi.

An inquiry into the Manchester attack found Abdallah played an “important” role in radicalising Abedi.

Abdallah’s release comes just two months after the Parole Board refused to free him early.

The board said he posed a “high risk of serious harm to the public” and still had a “propensity to radicalise others”.

He is now eligible for automatic release after completing his sentence.

Abdallah was first jailed in 2016 after he was found guilty of preparing and funding acts of terrorism.

The charges related to Abdallah helping four others including his brother Mohammed travel to war-torn Syria to join Isis.

While in prison, Abdallah was visited by Salman Abedi – and experts believe he groomed the future Manchester Arena bomber.

Abdallah has denied any involvement in the 2017 atrocity, which killed 22 people and injured dozens more at an Ariana Grande concert.

He is paraplegic after he was injured while fighting in the Libyan uprising in 2011, and was diagnosed with PTSD.

Abdallah was first released from prison in 2020 after serving a five-and-a-half year term.

But he was recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions in 2021.

In September the Parole Board found that Abdallah “played a significant role in radicalising the Manchester Arena bomber”.

The board added: “There was no evidence that he was involved in the attack itself or had any pre-knowledge of it.”

‘HIGH RISK’

While in prison, Abdallah has taken part in courses tackling extremist beliefs and terrorist activity.

But his probation officer, prison officer and psychologist still did not support his release.

Assessments found that Abdallah posed a “high risk of serious harm to the public”.

And psychologists said Abdallah still showed “levels of engagement with extremism and intent to commit terrorist-related offending”.

A plan for Abdallah’s release was deemed “not robust enough” given that he “retained a propensity to radicalise others”.

The board said there was not enough evidence showing a change in Abdallah’s extremist mindset.

A government spokesperson said: “The Manchester Arena bombing was one of the most tragic and cowardly attacks this country has ever seen.

“Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families.

“The UK has robust measures in place to manage the risk posed by terrorist offenders released from prison and those involved in terrorism-related activity in the community.”