The bomber B-21 Raider was seen performing aerial refueling behind a KC-135R tanker aircraft for the first time, as part of ongoing US Air Force testing.
According to the site The War Zonethe activity was photographed by Ian RecchioInstagram profile owner Look Under Rocks. Footage shared by Ian also shows a plane resembling a business jet passing under the two aircraft.
Among other things, the photos give us a good comparison of the size of the B-21 compared to KC-135Rbecause previously published images had significant distortions.
As TWZ speculated, the B-21 should have a wingspan of around 45 meters, given that it is wider than the KC-135Rwhich has a wingspan of 39 meters. However, it remains smaller than the B-2whose wingspan is 52 meters.
It should be remembered that it is possible that the B-21 Raider has been refueled in flight before by air tankers, but this is the first time such test activity has been captured on camera.
Regardless, the images show that the Raider continues to advance, and in-flight refueling will only increase its time in the air for extended testing, which is essential for its intended use in long-range missions.
Photo: Instagram @lookunderocks. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
