Key refueling-related tests for the B-21 Raider are now underway, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed to Defense One, the latest milestone towards delivering the next-generation bomber by 2027. On Tuesday, several open-source intelligence accounts and plane spotters posted images of a B-21 approaching a KC-135 tanker over California. One account cited flight radar data indicating that the tanker was from Edward Air Force Base’s 370th Flight Test Squadron. Other photographs and videos showed the bomber being followed by an F-16 fighter jet. “We can confirm that a B-21 Raider flight test aircraft completed a test event involving a close-proximity flight with a KC-135 Stratotanker,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “This flight is part of the ongoing, rigorous test campaign to validate the B-21’s capabilities and operational readiness.” The B-21’s latest appearance comes as President Trump’s war […]