Mystery Military Aircraft Caught On Camera Near US Airbase, B-21 Raider Theory Emerges

A mysterious military aircraft spotted near McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, has sparked speculation that it could be the rarely seen B-21 Raider stealth bomber. A video filmed near the Air Force base on Tuesday shows a large gray aircraft with a distinctive shape similar to that of a US stealth bomber. However, officials have not identified the aircraft, and there is no confirmation that it was a B-21, New York Post reported. 

The sighting has nevertheless fuelled speculation on social media, partly because of the aircraft's proximity to the airbase. Some internet users believe it may have been involved in a test or training flight.

"It appears most likely to be America's new stealth bomber – the B-21 Raider," wrote OutKick reporter David Hookstead. "In theory, it could also be the RQ-170 drone or the RQ-180 drone, which the government has never acknowledged the existence of," he added.

Others were less convinced. Some suggested the aircraft could be the B-2 Spirit, the Air Force's older stealth bomber, which has reportedly used McConnell for refuelling. Others raised the possibility of the RQ-170 Sentinel or the mysterious RQ-180, whose existence has never been officially acknowledged by the US government.

The B-21 Raider is being developed by Northrop Grumman as a nuclear-capable, long-range stealth bomber designed to conduct penetrating strikes. The US Air Force puts its average cost at about $692 million per aircraft, as per the Air Force. 

The B-21 was publicly unveiled in 2022 and is the first new US long-range bomber developed since the B-2 Spirit. It was named after the Doolittle Raiders, the US military unit that carried out the famous 1942 raid on Japan.

Much of the B-21's development remains classified. The Air Force has previously said it expects the bomber to enter service within the next decade and has plans to acquire at least 100 aircraft.