Northrop Grumman Rolls Out New Stealth Bomber

Northrop Grumman has unveiled its new stealth bomber for the U.S. Air Force.

On Dec. 2, the B-21 Raider was rolled out during a ceremony at the Northrop Grumman facility in Palmdale, Calif.

Its advanced stealth, information technology and open architecture will allow the Air Force to deter or defeat threats anywhere in the world, company officials said.

The aircraft features advanced low observable technology, including very smooth blending, a flying wing design and no apertures for mission sensors, air data sensors or communications arrays, reported the War Zone website.

The Raider name honors the pilots and crew of the Doolittle raid in World War II, when 16 B-25 medium bombers launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet to bomb Tokyo.

The initial aircraft is in the middle of ground testing and slated to fly for the first time next year. Five other B-21s are in production.