B-21 Raider Bomber Advances Aerial Refueling Testing
March 13, 2026
A U.S. Air Force B-21 Raider stealth bomber flight test aircraft conducted a close-proximity flight with a KC-135 Stratotanker as part of its ongoing aerial refueling test program on March 10 at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The Air Force confirmed the Raider and KC-135 flew together in a test event designed to validate the bomber’s integration with existing tanker platforms, though officials did not specifically confirm whether fuel was transferred during the sortie.
The sortie, documented by open-source imagery and plane spotters, showed the Raider approaching the KC-135 over eastern California, followed by a Lockheed Martin F-16 acting in a chase role. According to an Air Force spokesperson, the event is part of the rigorous flight test campaign to assess the B-21’s capabilities and operational readiness ahead of its planned 2027 initial delivery.
This test milestone occurs amid expanded development activity for the B-21 program, including increased production investment agreed between the Air Force and Northrop Grumman in February. The accelerated program funding aims to boost annual production by 25 percent.
The B-21 Raider, designed by Northrop Grumman as a next-generation long-range stealth bomber capable of conventional and nuclear missions, continues to progress through its flight test campaign at Edwards. The program remains on schedule for operational fielding in 2027, with Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota slated to host the first bomber squadron.
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