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.
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.
On Wednesday, the Air Force released a new image of the aircraft it calls the "backbone of the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet."
Northrop Grumman on Thursday released an additional image of the bomber in flight, saying the test campaign at Edwards AFB was led by a Combined Test Force (CTF) composed of personnel representing the Air Force and the manufacturer.
"CTF test pilots indicate the jet is performing as expected with the aircraft flying like the simulator, reflecting the precision of the digital environment on B-21," Northrop Grumman said in a statement.
- READ MORE: Pentagon Greenlights B-21 Production
Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, addressed the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month on the B-21’s progress.
“We are in the flight test program, [and] the flight test program is proceeding well,” said Hunter. “It is doing what flight test programs are designed to do, which is helping us learn about the unique characteristics of this platform, but in a very effective way.”
Designed to carry out long-range conventional and nuclear missions, the B-21 is set to eventually replace aging B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets. The B-21 is scheduled to hit full operational status in the mid-2020s.
- READ MORE: B-21 Raider Takes First Flight
The Air Force has said it intends to purchase at least 100 of the aircraft. Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, has been designated as the first main operating facility for the B-21 and its formal training unit.
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