Northrop Grumman B-21A Raider (LRS-B)

[FighterJock]

So when will the sole test B-21 be joined by the rest of the test aircraft?

 

[Josh_TN]

There are said to be five others under construction, one ground test aircraft and four EMD airframes. Presumably the EMD aircraft will fly to Edwards as they are completed.

 

[Forest Green]

B-21 Raider bomber conducts test flights at Edwards Air Force Base

The B-21 flew to the California location in November 2023 and has since carried out an undisclosed number of test flights.

www.defensenews.com

 

[raptor82]

Pentagon Approves B-21 Low-Rate Production | Aviation Week Network

The Pentagon's top weapons buyer has given Northrop Grumman the go-ahead for low-rate production of the B-21 Raider.

aviationweek.com

B-21 Raider stealth bomber in production, Pentagon says - Breaking Defense

The Air Force recently confirmed the secretive plane was continuing flight testing out of Edwards Air Force Base.

breakingdefense.com

 

[FighterJock]

Good to hear that the B-21 has now started Low Rate Production. Roll on Full Rate Production.

 

[TomcatViP]

Well, I am very pleased, but don't tell me one second more that this first flight was the first one.

 

[Forest Green]

Good to hear that the B-21 has now started Low Rate Production. Roll on Full Rate Production.

Anyone know how many they plan on building? 100 it seems, answered my own question.

 

[FighterJock]

I really wanted it to be 150 to 200 B-21s Forest Green but it looks like it is going to be just 100 B-21s.

 

[TomS]

Anyone know how many they plan on building? 100 it seems, answered my own question.

It's far too soon to guess what the final production numbers will be. We don't buy them all at once, after all. The program of record is 100 or so, but those numbers are always subject to change.

There are definitely Air Force leaders hoping for more, eventually. The first challenge will be to deliver the first couple of batches on time and budget. Then it becomes possible to credibly ask for more.

 

[FighterJock]

I would think that the Air Force leaders that are wanting more B-21s should say so and be more vocal about it.

 

[TomcatViP]

200 or even more is all across the Thinktank sphere!

 

[GTX]

B-21 Raider Now In Production Just Two Months After First Flight

The Pentagon announced that it issued a production contract for the most advanced combat aircraft ever designed.

www.thedrive.com

 

[FighterJock]

I cannot wait to see the first B-21s enter active squadron service GTX.

 

[Tool_Shed_Toker]

Any estimates on IOC?

 

[Scott Kenny]

Any estimates on IOC?

Probably a couple years from now. Gotta get the plane through the whole flight test scheme including weapons quals, then build enough planes for the training squadron, then enough for the first operational squadron to have some.

 

[Josh_TN]

I’ve seen 2027 floated around before. LRIP rate with drive the timing to some degree.

 

[Scott Kenny]

I’ve seen 2027 floated around before. LRIP rate with drive the timing to some degree.

Scary to think that's 36-48 months away from now...

 

[FighterJock]

So how many B-21s would enter an active Bomber Wing? Considering the fact that they will have to spread them out to training and testing squadrons?

 

[Mark Nankivil]

It's far too soon to guess what the final production numbers will be. We don't buy them all at once, after all. The program of record is 100 or so, but those numbers are always subject to change.

There are definitely Air Force leaders hoping for more, eventually. The first challenge will be to deliver the first couple of batches on time and budget. Then it becomes possible to credibly ask for more.

And remember when there would be 100 B-2s built? Yeah, right.

Wish (fantasize) the B-21 could be the B-47 of our time - lots of them....

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[sferrin]

And remember when there would be 100 B-2s built? Yeah, right.

Wish (fantasize) the B-21 could be the B-47 of our time - lots of them....

Enjoy the Day! Mark

132. (And 244 B-1As and 750 F-22s. . .) On the other hand there were only going to be 650 F-16s and 729 F-15s but then we hadn't all gathered around the tree to sing Kumbaya yet.

 

[FighterJock]

I too want to see the B-21 being the modern equivalent of the B-47, we can only dream.

 

[sferrin]

I too want to see the B-21 being the modern equivalent of the B-47, we can only dream.

Aside from numbers that's basically what it is.

 

[Josh_TN]

So how many B-21s would enter an active Bomber Wing? Considering the fact that they will have to spread them out to training and testing squadrons?

The B-2 force is only twenty aircraft, with two of those damaged and potentially never returning to service. That still constitutes a wing, though I think it has fewer machines than a typical B-1 or B-52 wing by wide margin. But certainly twenty aircraft, including the four EMDs currently under construction, would likely create an initial capability.

 

[TomS]

The B-2 force is only twenty aircraft, with two of those damaged and potentially never returning to service. That still constitutes a wing, though I think it has fewer machines than a typical B-1 or B-52 wing by wide margin. But certainly twenty aircraft, including the four EMDs currently under construction, would likely create an initial capability.

I think the B-2 force at IOC was only 15 aircraft; the test aircraft were only rolled into the active force after IOC. I think that was 2 operational squadrons and the combat training squadron.

 

[Hydroman]

It's interesting that the B-21 has already flown a number of flights from the EAFB CTF but there are no images or videos of these flights subsequent to the first flight. I know any images or videos would make to onto this site or on YouTube.

 

[Tuna]

I would think that the Air Force leaders that are wanting more B-21s should say so and be more vocal about it.

I wouldn't. There are things that are easier to ask once the capability is proven.

And remember when there would be 100 B-2s built? Yeah, right.

There would have been, but the cold war ended. There's a new one going on.

 

[skyblue]

It's looking like China is preparing to have the ability to invade Taiwan by 2027, coincidentally. Is the B-21 IOC date chosen to align with this? Or did China chose 2027 in order to sneak in a war before the B-21 program fully spools up and negate their present advantages?

 

[quellish]

It's interesting that the B-21 has already flown a number of flights from the EAFB CTF but there are no images or videos of these flights subsequent to the first flight. I know any images or videos would make to onto this site or on YouTube.

In the 21st century true stealth is keeping your aircraft off social media.

 

[Scott Kenny]

So how many B-21s would enter an active Bomber Wing? Considering the fact that they will have to spread them out to training and testing squadrons?

I'm guessing 8 ish per squadron, maybe 10 if the T&E squadron is less than a combat squadron. And typically 3 squadrons per wing.

 

[Josh_TN]

It's looking like China is preparing to have the ability to invade Taiwan by 2027, coincidentally. Is the B-21 IOC date chosen to align with this? Or did China chose 2027 in order to sneak in a war before the B-21 program fully spools up and negate their present advantages?

The 2027 date is often referred to as the “Davidson window” after the admiral of that name testified before Congress that he thought the PRC might be a military threat “in the next six years” in 2021. It also is the centennial anniversary of the founding of the PLA, and it is reported that Xi wants the PLA able to retake Taiwan by this point. But it is important to note these are arbitrary dates. Any conflict would likely take the actual conditions on the ground into account, and IMO would attempt to take advantage of a perceived US political or military weakness.

The B-21 program schedule is probably more or less as soon as possible. It was a rapid development office project and was explicitly limited to mature technologies to de-risk the program.

 

[flateric]

Rising B-21 production costs lead to $1.6B charge for Northrop

CEO Kathy Warden also said the company is working with the Pentagon to try to bring down costs for the over-budget Sentinel nuclear missile.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Manuducati]

Northrop Grumman Loses A Billion Dollars On The B-21 Program

On top of the loss, Northrop Grumman does not expect to make a profit on the first five production lots of B-21 bombers.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Forest Green]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1750662719903043972

View: https://twitter.com/AirPowerNEW1/status/1750662719903043972?s=20

 

[NMaude]

Defense Updates has just released a video about the B-21A entering LRIP:

A senior Pentagon official has revealed that the United States Air Force (USAF) has officially commenced the production of the B-21 Raider, marking a significant milestone. This development follows the successful maiden flight of the stealth bomber a little over two months ago, highlighting the U.S. Air Force's accelerated production strategy for this aircraft.

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment William LaPlante said in a statement,“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,”

He added, “One of the key attributes of this program has been designing for production from the start — and at scale — to provide a credible deterrent to adversaries. If you don’t produce and field to warfighters at scale, the capability doesn’t really matter”

Additional information regarding the contract award value and delivery dates is not currently accessible. I

n this video, Defense Updates how B-21 Raider entering production gives a massive edge to the U.S. military ?

That's rather quick.

And Sandboxx has a video about this too:

The US Air Force and Northrop Grumman have now confirmed that the B-21 Raider has entered low-rate initial production just two months or so after the platform's first test flight. And what may be even crazier... the program appears to be on budget. Let's talk about what this means for the Raider program, and how we got here.

 

[flateric]

...

 

[flateric]

Roll-out challenge coin

 

[bobbymike]

Northrop Grumman Eats $1.56 Billion Loss On First B-21 Bomber Lots | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Northrop Grumman will take a $1.56 billion charge on the first five lots of B-21 bombers, saying the overages are due to inflation and labor.

www.airandspaceforces.com

 

[Scott Kenny]

Northrop Grumman Eats $1.56 Billion Loss On First B-21 Bomber Lots | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Northrop Grumman will take a $1.56 billion charge on the first five lots of B-21 bombers, saying the overages are due to inflation and labor.

www.airandspaceforces.com

First plane off the line always has a lot more labor than they expected. Just the nature of the beast.

 

[Hydroman]

NGC will make money, they invested in the program. RQ-180/B-21 lineage for sure. NGC probably has made money with the 180 already that's probably why no one (including Wall Street) are sweating the charge on the first lot.

 

[Forest Green]

Will the B-21 still be able to carry two MOPs?