Pure White B-21 Raider Stuns Like a True Sci-Fi Nuclear Bomber in Fresh Hot Pics

I have to admit, I had high hopes for the event. After all, America's military aviators are a crew who like to release incredible pics of the hardware they use, and they do so on a weekly basis (just check our Photo of the Day section to see what that means). But with the Raider, despite all the hype created before its first public outing, things happened quite the opposite, and for some reason we got very few, clear shots of the real deal.

Naturally, the USAF and the people tasked with making the plane, Northrop Grumman, probably sit on chests full of photos, so we're bound to get more and more of them in the coming months, as development of the Raider moves ahead. A taste of that came our way last week, when two more pics of the plane were released by the American military.

The two images, which you can find alongside all the others we know of attached in this story's gallery, were snapped in late November, hence they pre-date before the unveiling. They were released last week, and show the Raider in pure white overalls, from a never-before-seen angle, but also in a close-up of its nose and canopy.

It's unclear at the moment when the Raider will be ready to take its rightful place in the existing triad of American nuclear bombers, meaning alongside the B-1B Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52 Stratofortress. We do know however its makers plan to perform a test flight of the thing sometime this year, and have it ready for service by the end of the decade.

The Raider is officially a sixth-generation military aircraft. Northop Grumman describes the bomber, stealthy by nature, as “the most effective aircraft in the sky.” Sure, we're talking about a nuclear-capable machine, but the plane will be able to drop on America's enemies' heads a wide range of other stand-off and direct attack weapons.

We cannot give you exact specifics as to what that means, though, this plane still being a major secret and all. We also have no info on what kind of engines the airplane will use and what exact capabilities they will have, but word in the industry is they'll be similar to the ones used on the F-35 as a means to cut costs.

As you're reading this Northop Grumman says there are six such planes on the assembly lines. The name chosen for the plane is meant to pay tribute to the Doolittle Raid which back in the early stages of America's involvement in the Second World War led to the bombing of the Japanese capital Tokyo.