PALMDALE, Calif. — The long-awaited reveal of the B-21 Raider on Dec. 2 at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, was preceded by a display of aviation history that Northrop Grumman dubbed the “Advancing Aeronautics Expo.”
Most of the aircraft on display were made in whole or in part by Northrop Grumman, including the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the E-2 Hawkeye and the MQ-4C Triton. An Air Force F-35A fighter, whose center fuselage is made by Northrop, was also present.
But the most historic aircraft there was a B-25 Mitchell bomber, the same type of aircraft that Jimmy Doolittle and the Doolittle Raiders flew off of an aircraft carrier in April 1942 to strike Tokyo, months after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The B-21 was named in tribute to the Doolittle Raiders, and the ceremony included tributes to the storied airmen.
Here’s a look at the aircraft Defense News saw at the event:
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The first B-21 Raider rolls out of a hangar at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., in a ceremony attended by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, military leaders and lawmakers, and the families of some Doolittle Raiders for whom the bomber is named. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A nighttime shot of a B-2 Spirit and an X-47B drone after the rollout ceremony. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A nighttime shot of a World War II-era B-25 Mitchell after the B-21 rollout ceremony. The Doolittle Raiders flew B-25s of this kind on their daring 1942 raid on Tokyo, Japan. The B-21 Raider was named in honor of the Doolittle Raiders, and the rollout ceremony included tributes to them. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
A U.S. Air Force F-35A, whose center fuselage is manufactured by Northrop Grumman, was on display at Air Force Plant 42. This fighter, dubbed AF337, just rolled off the production line and has been at Edwards Air Force Base in California for two months. "That's why it looks so nice," said Northrop Grumman program manager Glenn Masukawa. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Northrop Grumman's unmanned X-47B aircraft, which it developed for the U.S. Navy's unmanned combat aircraft system carrier demonstration program. The B-2 Spirit bomber is seen in the background. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The E-2 Hawkeye, the U.S. Navy's airborne command-and-control aircraft, with its signature 24-foot-diameter radar rotodome. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is dubbed "Spirit of California." The first B-2 was rolled out at the same site, Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., almost exactly 34 years earlier. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The B-2 Spirit, known as "Spirit of California." (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The MQ-4C Triton unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, built for the U.S. Navy. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
The B-25 Mitchell, a World War II-era bomber that was flown by the Doolittle Raiders in their daring 1942 raid on Tokyo, Japan. The B-21 Raider was named in honor of the Doolittle Raiders, and the rollout ceremony included tributes to them. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Another view of the B-25 Mitchell. These bombers were manufactured by North American Aviation, which over the years became part of Boeing. (Stephen Losey/Staff)
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
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