Two B-21 Raiders now operate from Edwards Air Force Base after the second flight-test aircraft was ferried from Palmdale on Sept. 11. Defense officials say the addition enables mission-systems work and weapons integration beyond the basic performance sorties flown so far.
Air Force leaders described the move as a practical gain for the Combined Test Force. “With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said. Gen. David Allvin said the extra airframe “accelerates the path to fielding”.
The second aircraft took off from Northrop Grumman’s Plant 42 and landed at Edwards after an uneventful first flight. The first B-21 flew on Nov. 10, 2023, and has since flown regular development missions from Edwards.
Flight test expansion at Edwards Air Force Base, September 2025
Edwards’ 420th Flight Test Squadron leads B-21 ground and flight trials inside the 412th Test Wing. The new jet joins that effort under the B-21 Combined Test Force while low-rate initial production continues in Palmdale.
Program releases describe a shift from envelope and handling checks to integrated system work. With two aircraft, planners can run concurrent paths. One jet can fly stability, propulsion, or environmental points while the other executes avionics, comms, radar, or EW events. That raises sortie throughput and cuts idle time between instrumented configurations.
Public images and official statements point to a broader slate now scheduled at Edwards, including lab-to-flight carding and early certification runs that need repeated, instrumented sorties. The Air Force note on the second aircraft’s arrival ties this phase directly to “mission systems and weapons integration” goals.
Edwards’ own coverage stressed the value of a second article for the 412th Test Wing’s tempo. The base reports maintainers and test crews are already adjusting schedules, tooling and documentation to support simultaneous work on both tails.
Weapons integration and mission systems checks begin with the second B-21
Air & Space Forces reporting, along with contractor input, says the newcomer will focus on weapons and mission-systems tasks. That includes steps before separation events, such as interface checks, telemetry and bus verification, and captive-carry profiles that require a dedicated aircraft and a stable maintenance baseline.
Program material released this month again points to weapons integration as a near-term objective. The test wing’s public statements tie the second jet’s workload to mission-system evaluations, with the Combined Test Force sequencing software loads and instrumentation fits to keep those events moving.
Early separation testing usually follows lab certification and captive-carry clears. While exact munitions schedules remain classified, Congressional and budget documents continue to link the B-21 to the nuclear Long-Range Standoff Weapon and to conventional strike options. Those sources describe the mission-systems phase as the bridge from avionics maturity to live stores work.
Officials have not published a firm start window for live drops. Adding a second airframe removes a common bottleneck in bomber development, where one jet had to split time between performance points and instrumented mission-systems cards. Air Force statements on Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 highlight relief in capacity and scheduling.
Quoted remarks from senior leaders remain consistent with those goals rather than calendar promises. Meink emphasized momentum for “critical evaluations,” and Allvin stressed fielding pace. The messaging aligns with the test team’s posture at Edwards, where the 420th integrates Northrop personnel under a Combined Test Force approach that has been standard for recent major programs.
Maintenance training and sustainment preparation at Edwards and the main operating bases
A second test aircraft gives maintainers steady access to real jets instead of classroom surrogates. Edwards’ releases describe hands-on practice with simultaneous repairs, validation of technical data, and early judgment on maintenance tooling that will scale to operational wings. The 912th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron features prominently in that stand-up work.
Sustainment planning is maturing in parallel with flight test. The Air Force’s fiscal 2026 justification books and public statements point to construction at the three B-21 main operating bases-Ellsworth in South Dakota, Whiteman in Missouri, and Dyess in Texas.
Budget tables and service notes list Ellsworth as the first operational beddown site, with Whiteman and Dyess approved as second and third main operating bases. Design and construction timelines in the FY26 documents anchor that sequence and explain the focus on readying base support in step with test progress at Edwards.
Industry and engineering write-ups from the base community outline the complexity of beddown planning for a new stealth bomber, including hangar coatings workspaces, corrosion control sized for composite structures, and secure training systems. Those elements feed back into test, since maintainers at Edwards trial procedures and tools that will set the baseline for operational squadrons.
Program numbers, production status and timelines for B-21 Raider and B-52J
The B-21 will replace the B-1B and B-2A over time, while a modernized B-52J carries standoff weapons. Public planning documents and recent interviews continue to cite a force of at least 100 B-21s and 76 B-52J. Air Force leaders have also told Congress the B-21 tally could rise if the B-52J upgrade suffers extended setbacks.
The first B-21 rolled out in December 2022 and flew in November 2023. The second took its first flight on Sept. 11, 2025. Northrop builds test and production aircraft at Plant 42 in Palmdale, with jets then operating from Edwards under the Combined Test Force.
Budget references for FY26 show continued funding for development, low-rate initial production, and beddown. Air Force materials also reiterate the B-21’s dual-capable role, with program descriptions connecting the bomber to future LRSO integration alongside conventional payloads. Open sources point to steady resourcing for test and early production through the upcoming fiscal year.
Edwards’ public affairs and Air Staff releases describe gains from running two dedicated test aircraft. Higher sortie rates, less reconfiguration churn between test disciplines, and faster validation of maintenance data packages. According to industry sources, the sequencing now puts mission systems and weapons work on a firmer footing, while the original jet keeps advancing airframe and propulsion cards.
Northrop and Air & Space Forces coverage provides details on loadouts and instrumentation choices across the two airframes, indicating how the team will divide work over the next several months. Taken together, two B-21s at Edwards materially expand what the test community can do each week, removing a structural constraint on tempo without forcing tradeoffs between basic performance checks and higher-level mission work.
REFERENCE SOURCES
- https://www.stratcom.mil/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/4302157/us-air-force-announces-arrival-of-second-b-21-test-aircraft-at-edwards-afb/
- https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4301502/us-air-force-announces-arrival-of-second-b-21-test-aircraft-at-edwards-afb/
- https://www.edwards.af.mil/News/Display/Article/4303045/2nd-b-21-expands-412th-test-capabilities/
- https://www.defensenews.com/air/2025/09/11/second-b-21-flies-for-first-time-as-air-force-eyes-testing-expansion/
- https://aviationweek.com/defense/aircraft-propulsion/second-b-21-enters-flight-test-palmdale
- https://www.airandspaceforces.com/second-b-21-flies-first-time/
- https://www.airandspaceforces.com/second-b-21-weapons-mission-systems-test/
- https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2026/FY2026_Weapons.pdf
- https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/Portals/84/documents/FY26/FY26%20Air%20Force%20MILCON.pdf
- https://www.dvidshub.net/image/9309831/us-air-force-announces-arrival-second-b-21-test-aircraft-edwards-afb
