Tag: B-21 Raider

Northrop Anticipates Next B-21 Production Award by End of the Year

Defense One reports, “Northrop Grumman anticipates getting a second contract to continue producing the Pentagon’s new B-21 Raider by the end of the year, executives announced today. ‘With B-21, we are on track for meeting the milestones associated with an award’ for Low-Rate Initial Production Contract 2, or LRIP 2 ‘and so we are expecting that to happen in the fourth quarter,’ CEO Kathy Warden told investors during the company’s third-quarter earnings call Thursday.”
Full Story (Defense One)

U.S. Air Force Shares Video of B-21 Raider Taking Off and Landing

Flying Magazine reports, “The U.S. Air Force released footage of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber undergoing flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Wednesday’s video marks the service’s first reveal of the aircraft’s flight operations. ‘A B-21 Raider conducts flight testing, which includes ground testing, taxiing, and flying operations in California,’ the Air Force said in a statement accompanying the video.”
Ful Story (Flying Magazine)

Air Force Says B-21 Flight Testing and Production ‘Continues to Make Progress’

Flying Magazine reports, “The B-21 Raider ‘continues to make progress’ in flight testing and production, the U.S. Air Force said Wednesday. The stealth strike bomber was unveiled in December 2022 and officially moved into low-rate production earlier this year. In January, Northrop Grumman said six B-21 bombers are in various stages of final assembly and testing at its facility in Palmdale, California.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)

B-21 Raider Flies Test Sortie from Edwards Air Force Base

Aviation Week reports that a “Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider flew a test sortie from Edwards AFB, California, on Jan. 17, notching the second acknowledged flight of the second-generation stealth bomber.” Defense News reports US Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said, “Flight testing is a critical step in the test campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and 412th Test Wing’s B-21 combined test force to provide survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies and partners.” According to Defense News, “Northrop Grumman has built or is in the process of building at least six test B-21s, including this first bomber. The B-21 program is now in the engineering and manufacturing development phase, and the test aircraft are production-representative platforms, meaning they are being built on the same line with the same tools, technicians and processes as production bombers. Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota is to be the first base to receive a Raider, scheduled for delivery in the mid-2020s.”
Full Story (Defense News); More Info (Defense News)

B-21 Raider Undergoing Flight Testing

Defense News reported that the “B-21 Raider took to the air for the first time in November, nearly a year after its public debut in California. In 2024, the U.S. Air Force’s next stealth bomber could take even greater steps.” The first B-21 Raider “flew to Edwards Air Force Base on Nov. 10. It is now undergoing flight testing, which also includes ground tests and taxiing.” The USAF has “confirmed at least six B-21s are in various stages of construction by Northrop Grumman or are undergoing tests. The program is now in the engineering and manufacturing development phase, the service said in November, and Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota is expected to receive its first Raider in the mid-2020s. The service plans to buy at least 100 B-21s, an advanced stealth bomber, to replace the aging B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers. It will provide the service with new abilities to conduct penetrating deep-strike missions, and the aircraft will be able to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons.”
Full Story (Defense News)

Northrop Grumman Remains on Track to Fly B-21 Raider Before End of 2023

FlightGlobal reports Northrop Grumman said that it “remains on track to fly the secretive B-21 Raider stealth bomber before the end of 2023, with the US Air Force expected to issue the company a low-rate initial production contract for the type shortly after that milestone.” Defense Daily reports that this week, the USAF said in a statement that “the B-21 is conducting ground taxi activities.” The USAF said, “Rigorous testing is a critical step in the B-21 flight test program. … Extensive testing evaluates systems, components, and functionalities. This testing allows us to mitigate risks, optimize design, and enhance operational effectiveness.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal); More Info (Defense Daily)

USAF Conducting “Ground Taxi Activities” with B-21 Raider Ahead of First Flight

Inside Defense reports the US Air Force said that it is “conducting ‘ground taxi activities’ with the B-21 Raider ahead of the bomber’s first flight.” According to a statement from the USAF, “Rigorous testing is a critical step in the B-21 flight test program. … Extensive testing evaluates systems, components and functionalities. This testing allows us to mitigate risks, optimize design and enhance operational effectiveness.”
Full Story (Inside Defense)

Test Pilots Say B-21’s Odd Windows Not a Problem

Air Force Times reported, “The test pilots who will be the first to fly the B-21 Raider, the Air Force’s next stealth bomber, are now working with Air Force and Northrop Grumman officials to draw up a game plan for its first flights next year.” However, “one thing that’s not weighing on their minds, the pilots stressed to reporters before the bomber’s Dec. 2 rollout at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California: The shape of the B-21′s windows and the field of view they will allow pilots.”
Full Story (Air Force Times)

AIAA Statement on the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 5, 2022 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:

“On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we congratulate Northrop Grumman, its industry partners, and the U.S. Air Force on unveiling the B-21 Raider. We join in the excitement around seeing this new military aircraft for the first time.

We applaud the entire team on building the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft designed to support national security objectives and assure the nation’s allies and partners. In addition, we are inspired by the aircraft name, in honor of the Doolittle Raid of World War II and the courageous spirit of the Doolittle Raiders.

We salute the thousands of industry professionals nationwide who are involved in the B-21 Raider for shaping the future of aerospace.”

Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.