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

Test pilots report the jet is performing as expected with the aircraft flying like the simulator, Northrop Grumman said.

Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 03:55 PM ET

Verified

A B-21 Raider conducts ground testing, taxiing, and flying operations at Edwards Air Force Base, California. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The B-21 Raider is making good progress in its flight testing and low-rate production, with six aircraft currently in various stages of assembly and testing.
Flight tests at Edwards AFB are proceeding well, with test pilots indicating the aircraft performs as expected and matches its digital simulator.
The B-21 is intended to be the future backbone of the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet, designed for long-range conventional and nuclear missions, and is expected to achieve full operational status by the mid-2020s.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.