Through the release of an official statement yesterday, Northrop Grumman announced that it expects to deliver the first new B-21 Raider stealth bomber to the U.S Air Force (USAF) in 2027, more specifically to Ellsworth Air Force Base in the state of South Dakota. According to the company, the aircraft is in the final stage of production at its facilities in Palmdale, California, while progressively demonstrating its capabilities in ground and flight tests conducted at different locations across the country.
Addressing the matter, Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems, stated: “Delivering the B-21 Raider to our Air Force operators and maintainers is the mission of thousands of dedicated Northrop Grumman team members. We have delivered strong and consistent performance on the B-21 in ground and flight testing in partnership with the Air Force. Northrop Grumman has designed and built the world’s most advanced stealth bomber, securing America’s air power into the future.”
Regarding his remarks on the aircraft’s performance, the U.S. company indicated that it achieved better results during testing than those projected in prior digital simulations, although without specifying the particular aspects. It also detailed that this advanced digital system enables improved flight planning and real-time analysis of data collected during missions, allowing tests to be carried out more quickly and efficiently. In terms of maintenance, it was further noted that technicians from the Combined Test Force were able to complete such tasks overnight, which is considered an additional advantage of the platform for future deployments.
It is also important to highlight that this development comes at a time when Northrop Grumman, in coordination with the U.S. Air Force, has been working to accelerate the production rate of the new bombers—a relevant factor in beginning to plan for the replacement of the service’s aging B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets. In particular, the company’s CEO, Kathy Warden, stated that Northrop Grumman has invested more than $5 billion to strengthen its digital engineering capabilities and manufacturing infrastructure with the aim of increasing production rates in the near future.
In this regard, it has been reported that the aforementioned digital models have reduced the time required for software certification by up to 50%, which is expected to translate into greater ease in integrating future technological upgrades into the platform. Additionally, it was noted that there is already a significant network of up to 400 suppliers across more than 40 states supporting the program, concretely involving more than 8,000 people—including U.S. Air Force personnel—representing a major boost for the local military-industrial complex.
Images used for illustrative purposes
You may also like: AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters of the Marines will be equipped with L3Harris’s Red Wolf cruise missile
