When the B-21 Raider is ready to join the fleet, the new bomber will take on a significant role in U.S. strategy, as two of America’s three strategic bombers are slated for retirement.
The B-21 Raider is making satisfactory progress through its flight testing regiment, according to Northrop Grumman, the new bomber’s manufacturer. Tom Jones, president of Northrop’s aeronautics division, offered the audience at the March 5th AFA Warfare Symposium the first B-21 update in months, stating that he is “very pleased” with the way testing has gone and that test flights are happening at least twice per week.
The B-21’s Slow Progress Towards Readiness
The forthcoming B-21 Raider sixth-generation bomber has been in flight testing for about a year now. The program remains highly classified, so Jones’s updates were rare tidbits of information on the mysterious bomber.
Jones said, according to Air & Space Force Magazine, that “the B-21’s progress has been ahead of expectations” and “we’re seeing a good margin” on performance. He also said there had only been one software change for the B-21 in its first year.
Jones attributed the program’s early successes to a rigorous ground testing regiment and “more than 1,000 flight hours on a ‘flying test bed’ that evaluates the B-21’s internal systems, including “hardware, software, navigation, communication suites.” A flying test bed is an aircraft that has been modified to test new aircraft systems; in the B-21’s case, an existing non-B-21 aircraft was modified to carry and test the new systems that will eventually be included on the B-21.
The combination of ground testing and the flying test bed have streamlined the B-21’s testing process with “about a 50 percent reduction in the period of time it takes to certify software builds, which is pretty phenomenal,” Jones said.
When Will the B-21 Be Ready?
Jones was asked whether Northrop would be able to accelerate B-21 production, or ultimately build more units than originally expected; the U.S. Air Force is expected to buy about 100 B-21s. Jones did not commit to a firm answer, saying, “Ultimately, it is up to the administration…to determine what the right number of bombers are.” He added, “My responsibility [is] to make sure that the Air Force has an option to help you make that decision.”
When the B-21 Raider is ready to join the fleet, the new bomber will take on a significant role in U.S. strategy, as two of America’s three strategic bombers are slated for retirement. Both the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit are currently scheduled to be retired, in part to make way for the B-21. And with the B-2’s retirement, the B-21 will become the only stealth bomber in the U.S. inventory—and possibly any country’s inventory.
The B-21 will then join the B-52 Stratofortress in the U.S. strategic bomber inventory, offering quite the juxtaposition. The B-52 first flew in the 1950s and is one of the U.S.’s longest tenured military aircraft, having joined the force long before either the B-1 or the B-2. The B-21, meanwhile, will be brand-new and jam-packed with novel technologies, offering a sophisticated and modern counter to the eight-engined B-52. The pairing should give the U.S. a full spectrum of strategic options, including everything from conventional to nuclear weapons delivery.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
