Air Force Announces Additional Basing Locations for B-21 Raider, Its Newest Bomber

A B-21 Raider conducts flight tests, which include ground tests, taxiing and flight operations, at Edwards AFB, California. (U.S. Air Force)

The Air Force’s second and third bases for its newest bomber, the B-21 Raider, will be Whiteman AFB, Missouri, and Dyess AFB, Texas.

“We continue to advance the B-21 production milestones; through digital engineering and open architecture design, we are delivering an agile strategic deterrent that provides a decisive response as needed,” Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, said in a service news release.

Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota had previously been selected as the first base to receive the B-21.

According to the Air Force, the B-21 Raider represents a generational leap as a stealthy, penetrating, long-range strike platform with dual nuclear and conventional capabilities.

The Air Force will buy at least 100 B-21s. The long-range strategic bomber is currently in low-rate production and undergoing flight tests.

The B-21 Raider is named after the Doolittle Raiders, U.S. Army Air Force pilots led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, known for their surprise attack on Japan during World War II, which boosted Allied morale. The B-21 designation recognizes the Raider as the first bomber of the 21st century.