The U.S. Air Force's New Bomber Will Be Called The 'Raider'

An artist’s rendering of the B-21 Raider, the Air Force’s future long-range bomber. (Air Force graphic)

Washington Post: The Pentagon’s super-secretive bomber finally has a name: Raider

The Air Force’s secretive and stealthy new bomber has a name, the B-21 Raider, the Air Force announced Monday.

The name was unveiled by retired Lt. Col. Richard Cole, a 101-year-old veteran who served as a member of the “Doolittle Raiders,” which embarked on an audacious plan to bomb Japan months after the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II. Cole served as the co-pilot of Jimmy Doolittle, whom he has called “the greatest pilot in the world.”

The naming of the aircraft, to be built by Northrop Grumman, marks a significant milestone in a program that has been controversial almost from the start. After Northrop won the contract, the losing team of Boeing and Lockheed Martin protested the award. Critics have taken aim at the secrecy surrounding its cost. Analysts have also said that it is going to have to fight for funding every year, as it competes with other high-profile Air Force projects, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the KC-46 tanker.

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WNU editor: For some reason I expected a better name. Sighhh ... so "Raider" it is.