The Pentagon has given the official go-ahead to start full-rate production on the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, a key milestone for modernizing the U.S. Air Force. The decision follows the first flight of the aircraft, according to William LaPlante, the service’s top acquisition official.
“Production of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber is moving forward. This past fall, based on the results of ground and flight tests and the team’s mature plans for manufacturing, I gave the go-ahead to begin producing B-21s at a low rate,” LaPlante said. The program design has always been pegged for scalable production to maintain a credible deterrent to adversaries, he underlined.
The B-21 Raider, designed for long-range missions, comes with advanced abilities in stealth to avoid enemy air defenses. It is going to replace B-2 Spirit and B-1 Lancer. The Air Force plans to buy a minimum of 100 bombers, with service entry anticipated in the mid-2020s.
Northrop Grumman, which produces the B-21, said the aircraft has gone through low-rate initial production following its introduction in a flight test. According to a company statement, the B-21 is the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft in the world because it integrates advanced data, sensors, and weapons systems designed with special provisions to easily upgrade for emerging threats.
The B-21 Raider will be a dual-capable penetrating strike stealth bomber able to hold any target at risk, anywhere in the world, at any time, with either a conventional or nuclear munition. Along with the B-52 Stratofortress, it will be the backbone of the future Air Force bomber force. This jet is specifically designed to address the requirements of high-threat environments when working together with other advanced technologies as part of a bigger family of systems for conventional Long Range Strike: intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; electronic attack; and communication.
The Air Force awarded the B-21 Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract to Northrop Grumman in 2015. The program has since marked several milestones, including a successful weapon systems Critical Design Review in 2018 and completion of the Strategic Basing Process in 2019. Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, has been named the first main operating base and location of the Formal Training Unit for the B-21.
Flight testing of the B-21 Raider is ongoing at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The Air Force has been secretive about its flight program, but late last week, Air Force Service Acquisition Executive Andrew Hunter told me the flight test program is going just fine and is on schedule.
Hunter said the digital design tools have made all the difference in creating the B-21: The tools have enabled early discovery and resolution of issues that otherwise would have been a big surprise way down into the program. He added that the program was on track and that the aircraft, which has been undergoing various ground and flight tests, was performing as models and simulations predicted.
The B-21 Raider takes its name from the Doolittle Raiders of World War II; this represents the first bomber of the 21st century. This is set to have a very important role in ensuring America’s enduring capability for airpower by providing options for conventional and nuclear strike operations against strategic targets across the globe.
As the B-21 Raider progresses toward the declaration of operational status, the bomber will shape the future of the Air Force bomber fleet and help ensure the United States retains its strategic edge in meeting evolving global threats.