Preparations are now being made for the delivery of the B-21 Raider, the successor to the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers, to Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, which will be the first main operating base of the new aircraft and location of its formal training unit, according to Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost, commander of the Eighth Air Force and the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center.
Armagost delivered the update regarding the B-21 program at the Air and Space Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference, where he attended as part of a panel featuring leaders from industry and the Department of the Air Force, according to a news article posted Wednesday on the U.S. Air Force website.
Ongoing preparations include ensuring that Air Force Global Strike Command squadrons are sufficiently equipped, trained and certified for the delivery of the aircraft, Armagost said.
The B-21 recently completed a test that evaluated its structural integrity and is now undergoing a fatigue testing campaign.
A minimum of 100 units of the aircraft, which will serve as the “air leg” of the U.S. nuclear triad, are set to be produced.