Similar To Its Predecessor, This Is The First Appearance Of The B21 Rendering Image

JAKARTA - The US Air Force has released a new render of the top-secret B-21 Raider stealth bomber. The bomber, which would be capable of carrying nuclear weapons, would cost more than 600 million per aircraft (8, trillion rupiahs). The US government alone has ordered more than 100 of these aircraft.

It is expected to enter service within the next five years. But the US Air Force has kept most of the details secret.

This release shows Northrop Grumman's aircraft with a slimmer profile than its larger predecessor, the B-2 Spirit, according to Military.com.

Unlike the previous bomber concept, which was released in 2020, this image has a more pronounced beak at the front and a slanted window for the main cockpit window. While the larger B-2 has four windows that surround the front of the cockpit.

The image also shows the bomber taking off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it is expected to receive testing in the coming years.

The secret aircraft is still under development by the military and is part of the Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) program. The aircraft will be operational in 2026 or 2027 and will complement the presence of the B-2 Spirit, as well as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber fleet, before eventually replacing both.

"Nuclear modernization is a top priority for the Department of Defense and the Air Force, and the B-21 is key to that plan," Randall Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, said in a statement.

“The B-21's built-in open systems architecture makes the bomber effective as the world's threats evolve. This aircraft design approach puts this nation on the right track to ensuring America's enduring airpower capability," Walden added.

All images officially released so far are artistic renderings - not official images of the unreleased secret jet. The first official renders of the B-21 Raider were released in 2016, but only show its basic form.

Renders released in 2020 show how the B-21 Raider will appear in hangars at various US bases, but again don't go into too much detail. Recent images show more details of the cockpit design and nose piece.

Raider is named after the Doolittle Raiders - US Air Force soldiers who carried out the infamous sortie against Japan on April 18, 1942, during World War II.

According to US Air Force sources, the cost of the B-21 has averaged around US$639 million (9.2 trillion rupiahs), up to 673 million US dollars (9.7 trillion rupiahs), after accounting for existing inflation.

"There's always a degree of doubt about (the final cost of the plane), adding up those numbers to just an estimate of the purchase price and not additional stuff," Richard Aboulafia, vice president and analyst at Teal Group, told Military.com.

B-21 Raider troops will be stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, and Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, according to the fact sheet.

The aircraft will have a crew of two but is also capable of operating without a crew, according to Popular Mechanics. The Air Force will buy at least 100 B-21 Raiders to replace its aging fleet of B-2s and B-1s, but some officials estimate the fleet will consist of 220 bombers - 75 B-52s and 145 B-21s.