Mysterious aircraft spotted near US Air Force base in Kansas. Here's what we know

An unidentified military aircraft was recently spotted near McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, Fox News reported, citing videos posted on YouTube.

The footage appears to show a large, gray aircraft flying near the Air Force base.

The aircraft seen in the video has not been officially identified. However, it is believed to be the US' new stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider.


“It certainly appears to be a B-21 to me, but again, that remains unconfirmed. There have been very public sightings of our new stealth bomber, and it’s believed the F-47, a sixth-generation stealth fighter, has been spotted just once,” a Fox News report said.

The report added that the aircraft could theoretically also be the RQ-170 or RQ-180 drone. While the US government has acknowledged the RQ-170, it has not officially acknowledged the existence of the RQ-180.

What we know about the B-21 Raider stealth bomber

The B-21 Raider is the first new American bomber aircraft in more than 30 years. It is part of the Pentagon’s efforts to modernise all three legs of the US nuclear triad, which includes silo-launched nuclear ballistic missiles and submarine-launched nuclear warheads.

The US Air Force plans to build at least 100 B-21 Raiders. The aircraft is designed to carry both nuclear and conventional weapons and can potentially operate with or without a human crew.

The B-21 is also notable for its relatively rapid development. The bomber went from the contract award to its public unveiling in about seven years, while several other major fighter and naval programmes have taken decades to develop.

The exact cost of the bomber remains unclear. The Air Force previously estimated an average cost of $550 million per aircraft in 2010 dollars, equivalent to roughly $753 million today. The final cost will depend on the total number of aircraft purchased and other programme expenses.

The B-21 is expected to complement and eventually replace older US bombers, including the B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit. The B-2 programme had originally envisioned a fleet of more than 100 aircraft, but only 21 were ultimately built because of cost overruns and changes in the security environment following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The B-21 takes its name from the 1942 Doolittle Raid over Tokyo. The aircraft is slightly smaller than the B-2, a design choice intended to help increase its range.

The Raider made its first flight in 2023. Before the flight, Northrop Grumman used advanced computing and a digital twin — a virtual replica of the aircraft — to test its performance.

According to the US Air Force, the B-21 Raider is a highly survivable, long-range stealth bomber that will form the backbone of the country's future bomber fleet.

The aircraft can be equipped with a wide range of weapons and supporting systems, including advanced communications and sensors.

The B-21 also uses an open systems architecture, allowing the aircraft to incorporate new technologies and capabilities as threats evolve. The Air Force says this approach will allow the bomber to remain adaptable and effective against future threats.