Unusual activity in the area of Area 51, a secret military base in Nevada, discovered by enthusiasts, may indicate testing of the B-21 Raider, the first American heavy bomber in thirty years, under development, The Aviationist blog reported.
“We do not know exactly what is happening in Area 51, but after visiting the area in early November, we are fairly confident that something significant is being prepared there,” the authors note.
In the vicinity of Area 51, enthusiasts and journalists have made a number of observations over the past year and a half. In particular, on November 13, 2017, an F-117 Nighthawk, a single-seat tactical subsonic stealth strike aircraft, was spotted there. The aircraft was covered with a tarpaulin and transported by truck towards the base.
Earlier on the same day, the observers met a serviceman dressed in civilian clothes and carrying a large hand luggage. The man later disappeared from the sight of the observers.
The next day, other observers in the Area 51 area snapped pictures of the F-117 Nighthawk flying with the F-16, a fourth-generation multipurpose light fighter. The last aircraft was equipped with the IRST (Infra-red search and track) system, designed to track jet aircraft and helicopters by infrared radiation.
In 2016, journalist Tyler Rogoway from The War Zone announced the appearance of a large hangar and runway in the area of zone 51. The new hangar is significantly larger than the room for the B-2 Spirit, a heavy, stealthy strategic bomber.
The Aviationist believes Area 51 is testing an infrared suppression system for the aircraft body and its engines, presumably for the B-21 Raider under development.
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The adoption of this heavy bomber, capable of carrying thermonuclear warheads, is scheduled for 2025. The aircraft is to replace the Rockwell B-1 Lancer and Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. The cost of one B-21 Raider is approaching $ 600 million.