B-21 Raider: America’s Most Advanced Warplane Ever

This is the B-2 Stealth Bomber. It was developed during the cold war and is still one of the most impressive warplanes ever constructed. But now the US is developing a brand new aircraft. One that's even more advanced, more secretive and potentially more powerful. The B-21 Raider. This next generation bomber is set to become the new king of the skies. A weapon designed to dominate in a world where geopolitical tensions are rising. For nearly a decade, the US military kept the B-21 shrouded in secrecy. And even today, only fragments of information are public. Just enough to reveal a bomber unlike anything the world has seen before. Hey, I'm Louis, this is Megabuilds and let's take a closer look at the B-21 Raider, as we uncover the insane engineering behind America's new stealth bomber. To understand where the B-21 is coming from, we'll take a look at the current model, the B-2 Spirit. The birth of the B-2 Stealth Bomber was a key moment in the cold war. This decades-long conflict between the US and the Soviet Union was a fight for dominance in almost every aspect of global power. It was a non-stop race to see who could outperform in military supremacy and nuclear domination. And that race reached its peak with the B-2 Spirit. A bomber designed to carry nuclear weapons and keep enemies afraid of attacking. Instead of sending out the slow-moving flying castles of the past, this ghost ship could deliver a nuclear payload to the Kremlin without ever being seen. It proved that the US was ahead of the Soviet Union, and created constant fear that one of these bombers might fly overhead at any moment. But the price of maintaining the B-2 has kept that possibility quite low. In 2022, its cost per flight hour was over $150,000. Yeah, you heard that right, that's per hour. Hence, it's no surprise its flight plan has been kept low. It's estimated that the B-2 requires 51 hours of maintenance for every hour in the air, meaning each flight has months of service afterward. And you can barely turn a screw on this plane, let alone work on any of its complex systems, unless you're in a temperature-controlled hangar. That's not to say this plane doesn't have a purpose. As you probably heard, the US recently launched an airstrike against Iran using the B-2, and news around the world reported on it. And even more recently, President Trump welcomed Vladimir Putin in Alaska with a B-2 flyover, a show of power before their peace talk started. But symbolic gestures like that aren't enough in a world where geopolitical tensions are rising. China is openly signaling its ambition to retake Taiwan, backing it up with regular military shows of strength. Meanwhile, Europe and the US are heavily supporting Ukraine with weapons, contributing to what many describe as a proxy conflict with Russia. And then there's the cyber war, with growing fears that Russia has the ability to launch digital attacks on Europe's infrastructure. It's a dangerous global situation, where information and cyberattacks can be just as powerful as guns and bombs. Now, Northrop Grumman is developing a stealth bomber to respond to these dangers, using the military's most powerful data-sharing network. So here is the B-21 Raider, the future of stealth and the new backbone of the fleet. Looking at it, you might think they just shrunk the B-2. And well, you're not entirely wrong. The designers kept what worked and improved on the model, rather than just starting from scratch. The name is partly an homage to the Doolittle Raiders, a group of pilots who carried out a surprise attack against the Japanese after Pearl Harbor. And the 21? Because you're looking at a plane of the 21st century. And before we take a look at what makes the B-21 so special, and how they improved its design, I want to thank Delete.me for sponsoring this video. Their tool can be pretty important and I use it myself, so hear me out for a minute. There's this whole industry of data brokers that collect our personal data. Your name, your email, phone number, and even your home address. And they sell it to whoever wants it. And it's not just random websites. Nebraska recently sued General Motors, because their OnStar system was allegedly collecting driver data. Stuff like how fast people drive, or how hard they brake, and selling it to insurance companies. Some drivers ended up with higher rates because of it. And that just doesn't feel right. Especially since it feels like we have never given them permission to do this. But luckily, we have rights to get our names off of these lists. That's why I started using Delete.me. I gave them permission to act on my behalf, and they went out filing all of these removal requests. Hundreds of them. I don't have the time or patience to do that myself. But now I can check this clean report every month, and just watch my data disappear from these lists. There's a link in our description. Join delete.me.com slash megabills. When you click the link, it helps support the channel, and you also get a huge 20% off when you use our code MEGABILLS. Thanks again to Delete.me for sponsoring this video, and now let's get back to the B-21 and its design. Remember, Northrop isn't just upgrading a plane. They're maintaining a legacy. They're building on past successes to create a warfighter that will last for decades and cost much less to make. The iconic wing spans 40 meters, shaving off 12 meters from the original bomber. The plane is even more compact, with estimates coming in at 16 meters. Underneath the plane, we can see the hidden bomber bay, tucked within the wing, which keeps the body tight and aerodynamic. The real question is, how do you get this behemoth past radar, even at this smaller size? Look, there are some specs the military won't share with anyone right now, not even the US Congress. But reports have shared a mysterious sponge-like coating around the bomber's body, made to absorb radar waves and lower acoustic signatures. The radar cross section, which measures how detectable an object is on radar, is one of the most critical aspects of the design. Because one little edge, one little bump, and the whole staff thing is blown. Keeping that in their minds, the engineers blended the cockpit windows into the frame. Joints, seams, and tiny crevices that could compromise the plane's radar cross section have all been removed from sight. The computational electronics on board will also cut down the radar signatures given out with every ping. And in some cases, the sensor will trick radar systems into seeing something that isn't even there. Instead of spotting a full-sized bomber, the radar might detect an object the size of a tennis ball, which could slip by entirely unnoticed. In other words, this plane would be long gone by the time you suspect something, and that's assuming you were paying attention. These engines can reach speeds of up to Mach 0.8, which may not compare to other warplanes, but that does mean it goes farther while using less fuel. But more importantly, they're designed to minimize thermal and radar signatures. As you can see, the B-21's engines are recessed into the wings, hidden in folds that look like fish lungs, keeping them out of plane sight. Check out the narrow 2D exhaust in the back, which is much improved over the boxy sugar scoop design of the B-2. When we look at the entire plane, it reveals that every curve is continuous, and every angle mirrors itself, making radar detection even more difficult. When radar waves hit a flat surface, they can easily bounce back to the source. But against curves, the waves scatter, making it difficult to track this plane. So the contours on this plane reduce the risk of detection. But how does it handle once you get it up in the air? Remember, the entire plane is just one giant wing. So to make sure it can withstand extreme forces, teams run stress tests with hydraulic equipment, bending the wing to see how much pressure it can withstand. The problem is, as we discussed with the B-2, controlling a plane with only one wing makes for a bumpy ride. To keep it under control, the B-21 uses what's known as a fly-by-wire system. Instead of an old-school mechanical system controlling the flight, a fly-by-wire system relies on dozens of sensors embedded in the wings, collecting data about the conditions of the flight. The data is fed into onboard systems, and then the flaperons on the plane are adjusted in real time, making for a smoother ride. But the most revolutionary change to the Stealth Bomber is the highly customizable software running its systems. Need to share location data with a nearby satellite? Press a button. Want to run a new surveillance program? Press the link to download it because the B-21 can be updated at will. Well, that's the goal, anyway. This kind of plug-and-play system is called an open architecture software program, and it'll keep this bird flying for the next few decades. Engineers can update it as they go, without having to constantly replace the hardware. Think of it as having different character builds in a video game. Systems for specific missions, like scouting, could be developed, integrated, and deployed at a moment's notice, then replaced with something that's maybe more combat-focused on a different day for a different mission. It's seamless, fast, and affordable. The design is part of what engineers call a family of systems, a feature that will eventually be integrated into the military's new data-sharing network, the Joint All-Domain Command Control. This project will connect every data sensor in the US military, so they can instantly share information with each other, almost like all the parts of one brain working together. We'll cover more of those capabilities in the B-21 in a moment, but the automation and data sharing could eventually lead to an unmanned Stealth Bomber. Look, we can only go off the bits and pieces the military shares, but to be fair, this is probably the most they've shared in a while. And what they've shown about how they built this plane is pretty remarkable. Welcome to Plant 42, Northrop's secretish facility in Palmdale, California. While they've invited the media to show off the world's deadliest weapons here many times, much of the production process still remains a trade secret. But here are some of the techniques they've been willing to share. As the parts arrive, a team of workers assembles the plane bit by bit, from the outside in, which is backwards from how planes are typically built. Normally, planes are built from the inside out, starting with the frame and adding the outer skin last. Doing it the opposite way might sound impractical, but remember that radar can detect bumps and imperfections on a plane's surface, which will give away its position. So with the B-21, the smooth outer surface comes first. The internal parts are then installed through access points and sealed up again, keeping the bomber's surface perfectly smooth and harder for radar to detect. On the old B-2, workers had to remove the coating around the exterior by hand before accessing the wiring under any of the 100-plus panels around the plane. Now, engineers have designed simple doors that they can just easily pop open. But how many people does it take to build one bomber? After winning the contract, Northrop constructed three new buildings to manufacture the planes and assembled a team of more than 8,000 people to crank out a massive order of 100 B-21 stealth bombers. Right now, the rumor is that they're on track to deliver seven to eight planes a year. It's an ambitious plan that's been made possible thanks to the huge developments made in augmented reality. Engineers use digital threads of the B-21 and try out newly developed systems and parts in real time before they ever go into production line. The data uploaded to this digital twin of the plane can also be shared with Northrop partners as they work to develop other systems. Working in this digital space significantly reduces errors in real life. Therefore, engineers can safely test wild new ideas before investing millions of dollars into systems that may never be developed. And that's important because right out of the gate, the Air Force demanded to keep costs down this time, even though it has rarely received a fleet order on time or on budget. The last fleet of B-2 bombers was supposed to number 132 and cost $500 million a piece. But instead, it received 21 planes costing $2 billion each. This time, the Air Force ordered 100 Raiders and committed to spending over $200 billion over the next 30 years to develop this fleet. And each plane will cost about $700 million. Although again, because of classified line items known as black budget, the actual cost of this program is probably much, much higher. Still, maintenance costs are about to come way down. This time, work on the bomber can be done outdoors like every other plane, in a normal hangar over a few hours instead of months. And unlike the B-2, the Air Force actually plans to use this plane more than a few times a year. For that, its capabilities have to match the best of the best. So let's take a closer look. The Raiders can carry long range nuclear weapons, meaning they don't have to be anywhere near their target to cause mass devastation. Considering they can travel over 11,000 kilometers without refuel, there's almost nowhere you can hide. And remember, the bomber is meant to act as just one part of a family of systems. Future missions envision the B-21 flying alongside other aircraft like drones, which could guide and share data and act as decoys to distract enemy radar. It could act like an airborne general, giving out orders on the spot to the drones, tanks and even nearby battleships. Or with the help of other ground and satellite systems, the B-21 could strike multiple targets on the ground from a secure location, keeping operators safe and minimizing human loss. There's a wild theory that pilots might wear helmets equipped with augmented reality, which would give them a complete view of their surroundings. At the moment, that's just a theory, but since augmented reality helped build this plane, it's not too unlikely. Maritime tests are already going on to see how the bomber works with other unmanned drones to develop ACPs, autonomous collaborative platforms to create first strike packages. The data sharing systems could also be used for surveillance, scouting locations once considered too dangerous to fly into. But if a shooting war did break out, the B-21 could lead the charge without ever being nearby. Like if, say, China lands troops on Taiwanese soil, the radar could launch within minutes from a base in the Pacific. When it comes to surveillance, this plane might be able to hack into local communication networks to locate and surveil high value targets. That's the thing. With open architecture software, it's really up to the developers to see how they can push the limits. The beauty of the design isn't being the newest. It's being able to keep adapting to what's new. No matter what advancements are made between now and the next 30 years, this plane will always be able to plug and play. So far, three B-21 radar stealth bombers have reportedly been built, and the US Congress is pushing to have the aircraft ready for testing by 2026. So what do you think? Will the B-21 really become the future of air power? And would you like to see more videos like this one? Let us know in the comments down below. And if you want to get your data removed from the internet, make sure to try Delete.me with our link in the description for 20% off. Thanks again to Delete.me for sponsoring this video, and thank you guys for watching until the end. I really appreciate it, and we'll see you in the next one.