The U.S. Air Force has chosen two USAF bases to provide support services for the B-21 Raider long-range strike bomber ahead of its delivery in the mid-2020s, the service branch said Friday.
Tinker AFB in Oklahoma will perform maintenance and sustainment work at the Air Logistics Complex within the base’s Air Force Sustainment Center. Meanwhile, Edwards AFB will host the Combined Test Force’s testing and evaluation operations at the California base’s Air Force Test Center.
The service noted that personnel from Robins AFB in Georgia and Hill AFB in Utah will provide B-21 maintenance support as well as overhaul and modification services to Tinker AFB as needed. The bases may also reconstruct the aircraft’s components, provide testing and reclaim equipment to support depot activation functions.
The Northrop Grumman-developed B-21 Raider is a highly-survivable aircraft designed to penetrate air defenses and operate in a wide range of critical missions. The aircraft is currently at the engineering and manufacturing phase of its acquisition cycle.