B-21 Raider Completes First Weapons Release Test, Advances Toward Functional Weapons System

The Air Force stated the program remains on track to place aircraft on the ramp at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in 2027.

UNITED STATES — The Department of the Air Force said on November 13 that a B-21 Raider test aircraft released a conventional weapon during a flight from Edwards Air Force Base, California, the previous week, validating digital models and open systems architecture and transitioning the platform from pure flight testing to a functional weapons system.

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The Air Force stated the program remains on track to place aircraft on the ramp at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in 2027. Officials described the test as proof of the bomber’s strike capability and its ability to rapidly onboard new weapons.