Second B-21 test aircraft flies, letting the test campaign move to weapons and mission systems

Northrop Grumman/B-21 Raider

A second B-21 flew from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base, joining the first jet, which had been testing since November 2023. The extra aircraft lets testers speed up work on mission systems and weapons integration.

• Four test airframes: two for ground tests, two for flight tests.
• Northrop received a second low-rate production contract in late 2024.
• Six airframes were in production at Plant 42.