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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Edward Helmore and agencies

Pentagon unveils first strategic bomber in over 30 years to counter China

The B-21 Raider is a new high-tech strategic bomber developed for the US air force.
The B-21 Raider is a new high-tech strategic bomber developed for the US air force. Photograph: Us Air Force/Reuters

The Pentagon unveiled its first new strategic bomber in more than 30 years on Friday, a nuclear-capable bat-wing plane that will become a central component of the US effort to counter China’s military build-up when it enters service around 2027.

Almost every aspect of the B-21 Raider is classified, but in a tightly-controlled unveiling at the Air Force’s Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, currently home of Lockheed-Martin’s legendary Skunk Works, the new strategic plane was briefly shown to the public.

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