First B-21 Aircraft Marks Ground Testing Milestone

The U.S. Air Force's new Raider stealth bomber is expected to take its first flight next year, Northrop Grumman said.

Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 02:30 PM ET

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The stealth bomber is designed to carry out long-range conventional and nuclear missions and slated to hit full operations in the mid-2020s. [Courtesy: Northrop Grumman]

Key Takeaways:

The B-21 Raider stealth bomber has successfully completed loads calibration testing, validating its structural integrity, and remains on track for its first flight in 2023.
Ellsworth Air Force Base, the future home of the first operational B-21 unit, has begun construction on a Low Observable Restoration Facility, part of over 30 planned support projects.
The testing confirmed the effectiveness of Northrop Grumman's digital design process, a key strategy for reducing production risk and expediting the bomber's development.

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The B-21 Raider, the U.S. Air Force’s next generation of stealth bomber, has successfully completed loads calibration testing and is on track to take its first flight next year, according to Northrop Grumman.

The news emerged as Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota—location of the first operational B-21 Raider unit—broke ground last week on a 95,000-square-foot Low Observable Restoration Facility. The facility is the first of more than 30 projects slated for the base to support the aircraft, the Associated Press reported.