Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., June 15, 2026, 13:21 (PDT)
- An operational test pilot and a developmental test pilot flew the B-21 Raider together. The flight is among the early steps for a big aircraft program.
- The Air Force is merging developmental and operational testing to get quicker feedback on combat utility and how mission systems and weapons work together.
- The Raider is set to become a main part of the U.S. bomber fleet alongside the B-52.
B-21 Raider flight tests are edging toward combat testing. In a flight reported over the weekend, an operational test pilot from the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center’s Detachment 5 flew with a developmental test pilot from the Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base said in a statement. The base said the mix puts both types of pilots in the cockpit.
The Air Force put an operational test member in the B-21 cockpit alongside a pilot from the Air Force Test Pilot School, Col. Matt Guasco, head of AFOTEC Detachment 5, said in a statement. “In the history of modern test, we’ve never done that so early in a program.” Normally, developmental testing comes before operational phases, hitting tech requirements and checking if the jet can fly safely. Suitability and combat testing usually come later. With the B-21, those steps are merging. Edwards Air Force Base
The B-21 Raider is the Air Force’s new strike bomber, built for both nuclear and conventional missions. It’s meant to join the B-52 fleet. The Air Force plans to get at least 100 B-21s, according to its fact sheet. Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota is set to become the main operating and training base.
Air Force testing has pushed past just flight-performance. Officials said the service sent a second B-21 test jet to Edwards in September 2025, which let teams get started on mission systems work and weapons integration. Lt. Col. Matthew Gray, who leads the 420th Flight Test Squadron and Raider Combined Test Force, said getting operational testers in early shows “the bomber’s true combat utility, not just its flying characteristics.” Air Force
Gen. Dale White, who oversees major weapons programs, said the change is meant to speed up work on Sentinel, B-21, F-47 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. “Integrating operational and developmental test in the B-21 program exemplifies the acquisition culture we’re instilling throughout the force,” White said. He called it “a smarter and faster mindset” that comes from urgency and new test tools. Edwards Air Force Base
New Atlas, AeroTime, and Aerospace Testing International described it as moving out of the concept phase and into real mission testing. The Air Force hasn’t released a flight date or serial number, nor did it share updated performance numbers. None of the statements or reports had that.
