B-21 Raider takes first flight
The B-21 Raider continues to progress in ground testing with the commencement of engine runs at Northrop Grumman’s facilities in Palmdale, Calif. (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman)
WASHINGTON — The B-21 Raider, America’s newest stealth bomber, has taken its first flight.
The Northrop Grumman-built bomber was captured on camera flying over the California desert by independent photographer Matt Hartman today. The B-21 was accompanied by a fighter serving as a chase plane.
A spokesperson for the Air Force confirmed that the Raider has entered flight testing. The new bomber was unveiled officially to the public in December 2022.
B-21 RAIDER FIRST FLIGHT 11-10-23 #RAIDER33 #B21Raider pic.twitter.com/3tEKudqDiw
— Matt Hartman (@ShorealoneFilms) November 10, 2023
“The B-21 Raider is in flight testing,” Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek told Breaking Defense in a statement today. “Flight testing is a critical step in the test campaign managed by the Air Force Test Center and 412th Test Wing’s B-21 Combined Test Force to provide survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies, and partners.”
The Raider is slated to replace both the stealthy B-2 Spirit and the B-1 Lancer. The Air Force is planning for a minimum fleet of 100 of the long-range bombers, and Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota will be the first installation to receive the aircraft, according to Stefanek. Six test aircraft are in production, and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., will lead testing.
The program “is on track to deliver aircraft to Ellsworth AFB in the mid-2020s,” Stefanek said.
Northrop Grumman has long warned investors that the aircraft’s low-rate initial production (LRIP) could result in a loss of up to $1.2 billion, which Chief Executive Officer Kathy Warden reiterated in the company’s recent third quarter earnings call. The Air Force had tied award of the LRIP contract to the aircraft’s first flight, meaning a contract could be coming soon.
In a company statement, Northrop said “As confirmed by the U.S. Air Force, the B-21 Raider is in flight test. The robust flight test campaign is being executed by a Combined Test Force comprised of Northrop Grumman and Air Force personnel that will validate our digital models and moves us another step closer to reaching operational capability.”