U.S. Air Force Confirms B-21 Raider Will Not Participate in Any 250th Anniversary Flyovers

Despite widespread anticipation and speculation, the U.S. Air Force officially confirmed to TWZ on Wednesday morning that the B-21 Raider stealth bomber will not make an appearance at any July 4th Independence Day celebrations. Two B-21s currently undergoing flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California will remain at that installation.

Official Air Force Statement

After TWZ asked the Air Force to "confirm that the B-21 will not be participating in the 250th anniversary celebrations in Washington, D.C., or anywhere else," an Air Force spokesperson provided the following response: "The B-21 will not participate in any flyovers for this week's celebrations."

The spokesperson further clarified that the B-21 would not participate in any of the flyover events even though the Washington, D.C. flyovers are scheduled to continue through July 10.

Secretary of the Air Force Weighs In

Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink had already addressed the issue in an interview with Air & Space Forces Magazine last week, and the Air Force spokesperson's statement provides additional clarity on his remarks.

Meink told the publication: "No, no, the program is going very, very well, but the aircraft are at Edwards, and we just started aerial refueling. So getting a B-21 here by the Fourth of July — it just wasn't going to happen."

TWZ was among the first outlets to report on the B-21 Raider's initial aerial refueling tests.

B-21 Development Status

The first B-21 pre-production aircraft arrived at Edwards Air Force Base following its maiden flight in 2023, while a second pre-production aircraft completed its first flight last year. The U.S. Air Force expects to ultimately receive six pre-production stealth bombers in total, with additional non-flying airframes supporting various ground test programs.

The Air Force plans to procure 100 B-21s, and the actual procurement figure could ultimately be significantly higher.

Northrop Grumman's Cryptic Social Media Posts Fueled Speculation

Much of the speculation about whether the B-21 might fly over the nation's capital stemmed from a series of mysterious videos and images posted on social media by the aircraft's manufacturer, Northrop Grumman.

Eleven days ago, the company uploaded a 30-second video to YouTube titled Stealth Meets Spotlight: B‑21 Blows Out 250 Candles to Celebrate America's Birthday. The video opens with a caption identifying the filming location as "Salt Flats, Utah," before revealing the silhouette of a Raider, followed by footage of a low-flying B-21 extinguishing 250 candles mounted on a row of pillars, and concluding with the message "Happy Birthday, America."

On June 25, Northrop Grumman posted a condensed 7-second version of the video on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption: "Some things stay low-key. America's 250th isn't one of them." The clip featured only the B-21's silhouette and the candle-extinguishing sequence.

On June 30, the company posted a still image from the longer video on X, continuing to stoke public curiosity.

Northrop Grumman declined to comment on the social media campaign and referred questions about the B-21's potential participation in July 4th events to the Air Force.

Trump's Post Added More Fuel to the Fire

President Donald Trump also contributed to speculation about a possible B-21 appearance with a post on his personal social media platform.

On June 27, Trump wrote: "Last night's rally was PACKED — 45,000 people. July 4th is going to be like nothing you've ever seen before. The military flyovers will be the best ever — the most planes, the newest planes, the fastest planes!…"

Even before that post, the military aviation enthusiast community on X had been actively debating whether the B-21 might appear over the capital.

Plenty of Highlights Still Await

Although the B-21 will not be the centerpiece of this year's flyovers, aviation enthusiasts in Washington, D.C. have already had the opportunity to observe a range of iconic aircraft, including the B-2A Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, as well as various fighter jets. The new interim Air Force One aircraft is also expected to make an appearance.

As noted, additional flyover events are scheduled to continue over Washington, D.C. through July 10.

So unless there is an extraordinarily well-coordinated surprise conspiracy within the U.S. Air Force — deliberately denying the B-21's participation to generate a dramatic reveal — the Raider will continue to keep a low profile. Which, after all, is precisely what it was built to do.

Source: TWZ (The War Zone)

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