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

Original news

EAFB to test top-secret bomber


By: Allison Gatlin

LANCASTER - It's official.

The nation's next bomber, the B-21 Raider, will be tested at Edwards Air Force Base, the historic proving grounds for the Air Force's arsenal.

Brig. Gen. Carl Schaefer, 412th Test Wing commander at Edwards, publicly announced the testing site for the top-secret bomber during Friday's Antelope Valley Board of Trade Business Outlook Conference.

"For the first time ever, I would like to publicly announce that the B-21 will be tested at Edwards Air Force Base," he said to applause from the crowd. "Edwards has been the home of bomber test and now we also can publicly release that the B-21 is coming to Edwards and we will be testing it here in the near future."

"We are super-excited about continuing to push that capability to our warfighters," he said.

Although it has been widely believed Edwards would be the testing site for the long-range strike bomber, as Edwards personnel are continuing tests for B-52, B-1B and B-2 bomber upgrades, the Pentagon had not confirmed it previously.

Other information regarding the bomber program, including timelines for development and confirmation of the production facility, still remains classified.

Schaefer said Edwards will ramp up to prepare facilities and the workforce needed for the bomber test program, both on the ground and in the air, but no details are available publicly.

Northrop Grumman was awarded the contract for the top-secret bomber in 2015, and local officials have said they've been told it will be produced at the company's Palmdale facility, although neither the Air Force nor Northrop Grumman will confirm where it will be built.

However, the company is expanding its site at Air Force Plant 42 - where it built the B-2 stealth bomber - by a million square feet and has announced plans to expand its workforce there by some 1,700 employees by December 2019.

While details remain classified, a Congressional Budget Office report released late last year said the B-21 program is intended to develop and build 100 aircraft for an estimated $97 billion pricetag.

The approximate timelime suggests production starting in 2022 and concluding in 2034, according to the report.

The B-21 bomber is part of the push for modernizing and re-equipping the nation's armed forces, as reflected in increasing Department of Defense budgets.

"We're in another defense spending upturn," said Ronald Epstein, managing director in America's Equity Research covering aerospace and defense. Epstein also addressed Friday's Business Outlook Conference.

Defense spending upturns typically run in eight-year cycles and the country is in the second year of such a cycle that will likely run to 2024, he said.

The bottom of the current defense spending cycle is equal to the peak of the defense spending cycle during the Reagan Administration, in 2018 dollars, he said.

The previous upturn was focused primarily on paying for war operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, without as much investment in new equipment. That is changing this time around, as the military seeks to replace key systems and equipment bought in the mid-1980s, Epstein said.

"The No. 1 priority right now in defense is replacing the nuclear triad," he said, including the B-2 bomber, the Minuteman missiles and Ohio-class submarines.

On top of that $500 billion effort are other programs such as the F-35 joint strike fighter working its way into operational status for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.

"I would argue we're in the best bull market from a macro perspective for defense spending that we've been in since World War II," Epstein said.

With this growth, he expects to see an average increase in U.S. defense spending of about 10% each year for the next six years.

That bull market extends globally, with other nations also pushing to increase their own defense spending.

"That has driven a very robust backdrop for the U.S. defense stocks," he said.

One driver of this growth can be seen in the news almost daily as North Korea makes strides with its nuclear weapons program, which has led to a growing market overseas in missile defense systems, he said.

Even with bitter partisanship and "all the political noise that's been going on in D.C.," the one thing on which both sides seem to agree is national security spending, he said.
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Most informed comment seems to believe the patch is fake.
 
Flyaway said:
Most informed comment seems to believe the patch is fake.
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...and now Mike has deleted his comment %
 
First it was fake aircraft being designed on Photoshop, and now we have fake patches. Whatever next. :eek:
 
flateric said:
Flyaway said:
Most informed comment seems to believe the patch is fake.
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...and now Mike has deleted his comment %
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The claims I’ve seen since allege the patch was originally posted in November on some obscure board most people had never heard of.

But then there’s this and perhaps it is real?

Peter Merlin stated on record this patch is in his possession, given to him by project members.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/979730891852402689
View: https://twitter.com/IanJSmith01/status/979730891852402689?s=20


Peter Merlin confirms it genuine. Has challenge coins and other memorabilia with it.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/979532447879778305
View: https://twitter.com/IanJSmith01/status/979532447879778305?s=20


it is authentic. Seen on the shoulders of programme staff by a very ironclad source.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/979423386458783747
View: https://twitter.com/IanJSmith01/status/979423386458783747?s=20
 
Mr London 24/7 said:
Peter Merlin is a member here so maybe we’ll hear directly....
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Thanks wasn't aware of that, so that's rather handy.
 
Yeah. I have the patch and a coin with the same design. I'm not sure why everyone is so surprised. The B-2 program had patches and coins and stuff back in the 1980s, even when that program was "a dark shade of gray" as is the B-21 now. The Raider is a publicly acknowledged acquisition program and Air Force officials have announced that it will begin testing sometime in the near future. It would surprise me not to see any patches and other goodies as the test and production organizations start ramping up.

Several of the patches have appeared on eBay recently. Someone told me that one of them sold for more than $200.00. That seems exorbitant for a $5.00 patch that will undoubtedly become common at some point. After all, you can't swing a dead cat on eBay these days without hitting a B-2 CTF patch.
 
Does anyone have any thoughts as to when that "near future" test flight may be? 2019/2020/2021?
If production rate is as slow as B-2 then first flight should be next year to have a squadron of 12 by 2025.

B-2 reveal was 30 years ago this year. Can you believe that?
 
NeilChapman said:
Does anyone have any thoughts as to when that "near future" test flight may be? 2019/2020/2021?
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Gives you some idea. B-21 now somewhere on the way from PDR to CDR.
 

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flateric said:
NeilChapman said:
Does anyone have any thoughts as to when that "near future" test flight may be? 2019/2020/2021?
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Gives you some idea. B-21 now somewhere on the way from PDR to CDR.
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Helps to assuage my curiosity. Thanks!

There are some wild variations between MAC dates. Are the indications that Raider development is running more smoothly than Spirit?
 
You have to also factor the role of the RCA and the overall change in the acquisition approach and what maturity was hit prior to formal EMD launch. The timeframe from Delivery to FOC on the B-21 should be shorter than the decade it took the B-2. But obviously, risk remains as the RCA Director warned late last year when he commented on the integration risks.

During a Sept. 18 panel discussion, Walden said the program is progressing well through early development, but noted that integrating mature technologies onto the stealth bomber is where the program expects to see the most risk.

"We're watching that closely," he said.

Walden told Inside Defense following the panel that the program would likely start seeing those integration risks in the near term.

"I would say we're going to start seeing them soon," he said. "And as they come up, like any program, we're going to try to mitigate them and be as proactive as we can."

Asked about the timing of a critical design review, Walden was vague, saying it is scheduled for "sometime in the future."

The Air Force has integrated technologies onto stealth jets before, and Walden said the service will learn from issues faced by the F-22, F-35 and B-2.https://insidedefense.com/daily-news/rco-director-offers-insight-b-21-development-risk
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It doesn't look like the USAF is going to change the requirements on the B-21, so it should go much faster than the B-2's development. I expect it to fly this year or early next year.
 
Not earlier than 2020 in the best case.
 
My guess would be - CDR - late 2018- Mid-2019, followed by First Flight in mid-2020- early-2021.
 
Thanks all. I see lots of tech that has fundamentally changed design and manufacturing in the last decade or so. From better 3D software, to robotics, machine design, 3D printing of parts, etc that have the ability to revolutionize timelines for production. I'm wondering how much NG is able to leverage these 'tools' in the B-21 program. Perhaps some of these tools were the reason that PDR #1 was possible before contract award.

Now I'm wondering how quickly they'll be able to build air vehicles once CDR milestone reached. It has to be quicker than F-35, no? F-35 LRIP 1 was 2007 with deliveries in 2011, correct? For instance, is it possible to engineer and "see" the entire production line in software prior to actual production?

As an aside, as a support/service issues, does anyone know if DoD has started modifying contracts to accommodate 3D printing of parts in the field?
 
NeilChapman said:
Now I'm wondering how quickly they'll be able to build air vehicles once CDR milestone reached. It has to be quicker than F-35, no? F-35 LRIP 1 was 2007 with deliveries in 2011, correct? For instance, is it possible to engineer and "see" the entire production line in software prior to actual production?
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It might be quicker than with the F-35 due to it not being a joint program, etc, but the F-35's production line was engineered and visualised in software prior to actual production as well:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iKynnsTGPk
 
gosh, they were/are cheating on us! (sarcastic)
 

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On the poster " AMERICA WIN NO MATTER WHERE" the B-21 shadow look with more swept wing than the official USAF picture.
 
And hangar ad aircraft doesn't look like B-21 official render, because both ads were released before render unveiling.
So what now?
 
Behind paywall

http://aviationweek.com/awindefense/next-gen-b-21-bomber-gets-its-first-software-drop

The U.S. Air Force’s next-generation B-21 “Raider” recently got its first software drop, marking a small but important step toward fielding the software-intensive stealth ...
 
http://www.janes.com/article/79402/us-air-force-performs-first-b-21-raider-software-drop

US Air Force performs first B-21 Raider software drop
Pat Host, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
18 April 2018

The US Air Force (USAF) has performed its first software drop for its Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider long-range strike bomber programme, according to a key official.

Lieutenant General Arnold Bunch, military deputy, office of the assistant secretary of the USAF for acquisition, told a Senate panel on 18 April that the service is now looking at the second software drop. Modern aircraft platforms, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) are software intensive.

Lt Gen Bunch may have provided a clue on how cost containment is progressing with B-21. Senator Angus King of Maine asked Lt Gen Bunch whether the programme was falling within the parameters of the contract in terms of cost, but Lt Gen Bunch responded that costs are falling within the parameters of the USAF’s independent cost estimate. He did not mention the contract.

A USAF spokesperson said that she would unlikely be able to expound on Lt Gen Bunch’s testimony
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(183 of 273 words)
 
Not behind a paywall.

USAF eyes more orders as B-21 finishes preliminary design review

The heavy bomber is now moving towards a critical design review, says Lt Gen Arnold Bunch, the air force's military deputy for acquisition during an 18 April Senate Armed Services hearing. Critical design review is the next step before assembly of the first aircraft can begin.

Northrop Grumman has also delivered the first set of software for the B-21 programme, said Bunch.

“We are making good progress,” he said. “I am comfortable today with were we are at, the progress that Northrop Grumman is making on the programme.”
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https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/usaf-eyes-more-orders-as-b-21-finishes-preliminary-d-447860/
 
The B-21 program remains one of the Air Force’s top priority programs with regards to
investment in research, development, test and evaluation with $2.3 billion for Engineering and
Manufacturing Development in the Fiscal Year 2019 President’s Budget. The B-21 continues
to make measured, positive progress and remains on track to deliver its initial capability in the
mid-2020s.

The program successfully completed a Preliminary Design Review in 2017
demonstrating that the Air Force, along with its industry partners, are continuing to develop
the design maturity of this platform. The development phase of the program is well on the path to detailed design.
The Air Force remains committed to a fleet size of a minimum of 100 B-21s. This fleet
will provide capabilities necessary to meet future Combatant Commander requirements. The
B-21 remains an absolute national defense priority, and we are grateful for your continued support
of this critical program
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Nothing new in those remarks. 175 - 178 bombers (100 B-21 + 75 - 78 B-52H) in 14 - 16 squadrons.
 
www.airforcetimes.com

Air Force: Next-generation B-21 bomber headed to 3 bases

The U.S. Air Force says bases in Missouri, South Dakota and Texas will receive the next-generation B-21 bomber to replace existing aircraft starting in the mid-2020s.
www.airforcetimes.com www.airforcetimes.com

PIERRE, S.D. — The U.S. Air Force says bases in Missouri, South Dakota and Texas will receive the next-generation B-21 bomber to replace existing aircraft starting in the mid-2020s.

The Air Force said Wednesday that Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri have been chosen as “reasonable alternatives ” to host the new B-21 bomber.
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bobbymike said:
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/05/02/air-force-next-generation-b-21-bomber-headed-to-3-bases/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Socialflow

PIERRE, S.D. — The U.S. Air Force says bases in Missouri, South Dakota and Texas will receive the next-generation B-21 bomber to replace existing aircraft starting in the mid-2020s.

The Air Force said Wednesday that Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri have been chosen as “reasonable alternatives ” to host the new B-21 bomber.
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I'm surprised there's no talk of forward deployment. Smaller aircraft, more possible runways. If I were Caesar I'd be interested in forward deployments of as much gear as is reasonable. Possibly Hawaii, Guam, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, Greenland, Saudi...
 
There's next to no political support for forward deployment, it costs more, and the bombers they're replacing are domestically based.
 
Moose said:
There's next to no political support for forward deployment, it costs more, and the bombers they're replacing are domestically based.
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Interesting - as the BUFFs tended to be deployed saay to RAF Fairford for the European theater or Andersen AFB for Pacific, or Diego Garcia for CENTCOM. Likewise the BONEs get deployed to say Ali Udeid or Diego Garcia for CENTCOM.

cheers
 
IIRC at one point all three types, B-52, B-1B, and B-2 were on TDY at DG.
 
I'm sure the B-21 will eventually deploy to overseas bases in the same way as the current types.

But "forward deployed" has a specific meaning, as in the "forward deployed naval forces," which are homeported in Japan. It's distinct from temporary deployments (TDY) like the bombers based in Guam or Diego Garcia.

I can see a lot of reasons, both financial and political, not to base US heavy strategic bombers overseas long-term. Especially if the B-21s are all nuclear-capable.
 
TomS said:
Especially if the B-21s are all nuclear-capable.
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Which is why the base selection is interesting since, IIUC, only Whiteman still has nuclear
weapons storage and handling facilities.
 
marauder2048 said:
TomS said:
Especially if the B-21s are all nuclear-capable.
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Which is why the base selection is interesting since, IIUC, only Whiteman still has nuclear
weapons storage and handling facilities.
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That should probably change. (Of course it doesn't mean it will. :mad: )
 

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