According to an article published on the defensenews website on December 23, 2021, the U.S. Air Force will publicly display the B-21 Raider bomber in 2022, but no specific date has been set yet. It is reported that a few months after the public display, the B-21 will conduct its first test flight. US Air Force Chief of Staff General Brown stated at the "Defense One" online state of defense conference in September 2021 that the US Air Force will do special things when displaying the B-21, such as holding an unveiling ceremony or subsequent first flight. .
This will be the first public demonstration of a new bomber by the US Air Force in more than 30 years. Because Northrop Grumman's B-2 "Ghost" bomber was unveiled to the public in November 1988 at the Air Force Plant No. 42 in Palmdale, California. The first public flight of the B-2 took place the following year, July 1989.
However, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall stated on December 9, 2021 that the US Air Force may continue to keep the "Raiders" secret, including throughout 2022. Kendall said at an online forum that the public will not see much content, and the US Air Force does not want its opponents to be one step ahead of anything. The U.S. Air Force just wants the public and Congress to realize that the U.S. Air Force is carrying out this work, but it will not disclose much information.
Kendall revealed at the U.S. Air Force Association's air, space and network conference in September 2021 that there are five B-21s in different stages of production at Plant 42.
Todd Harrison, an aerospace and defense budget expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, predicts that the U.S. Air Force will submit its budget request for 2023 in early 2022 and will provide more details on the B-21 at that time. He said this may include more information, such as the U.S. Air Force’s procurement plan and how quickly the aircraft can be deployed. 2022 will be an important year for B-21.
But the 2023 budget request may also include some difficult trade-offs, as the U.S. Air Force is seeking to retire more older aircraft to free up more funds. The upcoming budget is expected to be very tight, which leaves little room for the US Air Force to modernize as quickly as needed. Kendall and other Air Force leaders have recently stepped up their call for Congress to allow the retirement of old aircraft. They believe that these old aircraft will not be of much use in the competition between major powers. US Air Force Chief of Staff Brown said in an interview with "Defense News" in November 2020 that the 2023 fiscal year is his real concern.
In order to bridge the gap between the KC-46A Pegasus and the next-generation aerial tanker, the U.S. Air Force is working hard to purchase a KC-Y tanker (transitional tanker) and issued a request for consultation in June 2021. Three months later, Lockheed Martin announced its LMXT air tanker, an improved version of the Airbus A330 multi-purpose tanker/transport aircraft, which will compete with KC-46A for orders for up to 160 transitional tankers.
US Air Force Chief of Staff Brown said that the bidding time for the transitional tanker has not yet been determined, but related work has already begun.
