АНУ-ын Агаарын цэргийн хүчин шинэ үеийн B-21 Raider бөмбөгдөгч онгоцыг долдугаар сарын 4-ний баярын ёслолын ажиллагаанд оролцуулахгүй гэдгээ албан ёсоор мэдэгдлээ.
АНУ-ын Агаарын цэргийн хүчний албаны эх сурвалжийн мэдээлснээр, одоогийн байдлаар нислэгийн туршилтад орж буй хоёр B-21 Raider онгоц Калифорни муж дахь Эдвардс агаарын цэргийн баазад үлдэж, төлөвлөгөөт ажлаа үргэлжлүүлэх юм. Агаарын цэргийн хүчний нарийн бичгийн дарга Трой Мейнк уг онгоцууд саяхан түлш цэнэглэх туршилтад орсон бөгөөд одоогоор баярын арга хэмжээнд оролцох боломжгүй байгааг онцолжээ.
B-21 Raider онгоцыг баярын жагсаалд оролцож магадгүй гэсэн таамаг үйлдвэрлэгч Northrop Grumman компанийн олон нийтийн сүлжээнд байршуулсан дүрс бичлэгүүдээс үүдэлтэй байв. Гэвч батлан хамгаалах салбарын төлөөлөгчид эдгээр бичлэг нь зөвхөн сурталчилгааны шинж чанартай болохыг илэрхийлж, онгоцны үйл ажиллагааны хуваарьт өөрчлөлт ороогүйг баталлаа.
АНУ-ын Агаарын цэргийн хүчин нийт 100 ширхэг B-21 Raider бөмбөгдөгч онгоц худалдан авахаар төлөвлөж байгаа бөгөөд одоогоор туршилтын эхний загварууд нь нислэгийн болон газрын туршилтуудад үргэлжлүүлэн оролцож байна. Баярын өдрүүдэд Вашингтон хотын дээгүүр B-2A Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress зэрэг бусад төрлийн нисэх онгоцууд нислэг үйлдэхээр төлөвлөгдсөн байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
After what appeared to be cryptic indications that prompted online speculation and excitement, fans of the B-21 Raider won’t be seeing America’s newest bomber in any Fourth of July celebrations this week, the Air Force confirmed to TWZ Wednesday morning. The aircraft, two of which are now undergoing flight testing, will remain at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Asked by TWZ to “confirm B-21 will not take part in any 250th celebration events in DC or anywhere else,” an Air Force official offered the following response: “The B-21 will not take part in any flyovers for this week’s celebration.”
The official further clarified that the aircraft won’t take part in any such events, even though the flyovers in Washington, D.C. continue through July 10.
The Air Force official’s statement about the B-21 not taking part in any Independence Day celebrations adds additional clarity to comments Air Force Secretary Troy Meink made to Air & Space Forces Magazine last week about the topic.
“No, no, the program is going really, really well, but the planes are out at Edwards, and we just started doing refueling,” Meink told the publication. “So to get a B-21 here [for the Fourth], not going to happen.”
TWZ was first to report on the Raider’s initial refueling trials.
The first pre-production B-21 arrived at Edwards Air Force Base following its maiden flight in 2023. A second pre-production Raider took to the skies last year. The Air Force is eventually expected to take delivery of a total of six pre-production examples of the new stealth bomber. Non-flying airframes are also being used to support ongoing testing.
The Air Force expects to procure 100 of these jets, and possibly significantly more. You can read more about the program in our story here.
B-21 Takeoff and Landing
Speculation about whether the B-21 would make an appearance over the nation’s capital was mainly fueled by a campaign of cryptic videos and an image posted on social media by the jet’s manufacturer, Northrop Grumman.
A 30-second video titled “Stealth Meets Spotlight: B‑21 Blows Out 250 Candles to Celebrate America’s Birthday” was posted on YouTube 11 days ago.
It opens with credits showing “Utah Salt Flats” and then shows the silhouette of a Raider followed by one flying low and blowing out 250 candles on pillars placed in a row before roaring off with the words “Happy Birthday, America” emblazoned on the screen.
Stealth Meets Spotlight: B‑21 Blows Out 250 Candles to Celebrate America’s Birthday
A seven-second version of that video, posted on X July 25 and titled: “Some things stay off the radar. America’s 250th isn’t one of them,” just shows the silhouette and the candles being blown out.
On June 30, Northrop Grumman added another teasing post to X, just showing a still from the longer video.
The company declined comment about the social media campaign. It deferred questions about whether the Raider would fly in any July 4 celebrations to the Air Force.
In a post on his social media outlet, President Donald Trump added further fodder for speculation about whether Raider would emerge for the festivities.
“Last night’s Rally was packed — 45,000 people. July 4th will be a step beyond anything you’ve ever seen,” Trump proclaimed on June 27. “The Military flyovers will be the best, EVER — The most planes, the newest planes, the fastest planes!…”
Even before these posts, the military aviation community of X had been speculating about whether the Raider would make an appearance at America’s birthday bash in the capital.
Though the B-21 won’t be the centerpiece of any flyovers, aviation buffs in the D.C. area already got a chance to see several iconic aircraft, including B-2A Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, as well as fighters and other aircraft. The new Air Force One bridge aircraft is also supposed to make an appearance.
More flyovers are expected over D.C. through July 10 as we noted at the top of our story.
So, unless there is a well coordinated conspiracy inside the USAF to surprise the public by denying the B-21’s attendance at America 250, the Raider will remain off the radar, which is what it was designed to do.
Contact the author: howard@twz.com
