A B-21 Raider bomber was first seen performing aerial refueling behind a KC-135R tanker aircraft during ongoing US Air Force tests.
A The War Zone according to his report, the activity Ian Recchio photographed by the Look Under Rocks Instagram profile owner. The images shared by Ian also show an aircraft that looks like a business jet flying under the two planes.
Among other things, the photos provide a good basis for comparison B-21 is a KC-135R size, as previously published images contained significant distortions.
TWZ assumes that a B-21 its wingspan can be about 45 meters, taking into account that it is wider than the KC-135Rwith a wingspan of 39 meters. Nevertheless, it is smaller than a B-2which has a wingspan of 52 meters.
It is worth noting that it is possible that a B-21 Raiderhas previously been refueled by aerial refueling using tanker planes, but this was the first time such a test activity was captured on camera.
Anyway, the pictures show that the Raider it is further along in the development process, and aerial refueling will only increase its time in the air during longer tests, which is crucial for the planned long-range missions.
Photo: Instagram @lookunderocks. This content is generated with the help of artificial intelligence and verified by the editors.
