B-21 Raider Advances into Weapons Testing

Summary
Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider aircraft has demonstrated weapons release capability, marking a major step forward for America’s next-generation bomber.

Key Takeaways
- The demonstration proves the B-21’s ability to carry and employ combat power, advancing the aircraft toward warfighting capability.

- Northrop Grumman is accelerating B-21 production and testing ahead of the aircraft’s arrival on the ramp at Ellsworth Air Force Base in 2027.

Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider aircraft has demonstrated weapons release capability, marking a major step forward for America’s next-generation bomber. This demonstrates the B-21 can carry and employ combat power, illustrating how Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force are steadily advancing the B-21 on the path to warfighting capability. The B-21 program is accelerating both production and test ahead of aircraft on the ramp at Ellsworth Air Force Base in 2027.

“B-21 is another step closer to giving the U.S. unrivaled deterrence,” said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. “As we’ve heard from our Air Force partners, the B-21 Combined Test Force is the envy of the entire test community for its sustained rapid test pace and progress. Northrop Grumman is turning advanced technology into real capability and delivering with both performance and speed.”

Payload – Power that fits the mission

The B-21 Raider offers exceptional payload flexibility, giving commanders the ability to tailor weapon loadouts to a wide range of mission requirements, from long-range strikes to operations in heavily defended airspace. B-21 is also adaptable by design, allowing new weapons and capabilities to be integrated over time, keeping it ahead of evolving threats and maintaining its role as a pacing sixth-generation system.

Range – Global reach

Designed as the future of long range, penetrating strike, the B-21 possesses the global range necessary to hold any target around the globe at risk. Enabling this reach, the addition of aerial refueling in flight test this year has unlocked longer test sorties and accelerated the overall campaign.

Access – Stealth and survivability built for the toughest airspace

The B-21 is built with the most advanced stealth capabilities, drawing on decades of Northrop Grumman’s innovations. In testing, it has demonstrated outstanding stealth performance and is on track to be the most survivable aircraft in the fleet. In the world’s most heavily guarded regions, stealth remains the key to entry to complete the mission. Purpose-built from day one to meet that challenge, the B-21 is engineered to slip past the most sophisticated defenses and operate where other aircraft cannot. That intentional design makes the B-21 a critical asset for the nation’s most challenging missions.

The B-21’s next-gen stealth combined with unmatched payload, global range and ability to access heavily defended airspace are what set the B-21 Raider apart from any aircraft in the U.S. arsenal. Taken together, these attributes deliver a powerful strategic deterrent that will be ready on day one and remain the pacing threat for years to come. The B-21’s next generation stealth, advanced networking and open-architecture design enable the aircraft to share data seamlessly across domains, adapt ahead of evolving threats and remain effective in the most challenging environments.

Noteworthy B-21 Raider Happenings:

• Scaling Production Capacity: Northrop Grumman recently opened another B-21 manufacturing facility. The Layton, Utah, facility adds 265,000 manufacturing square feet, and Northrop Grumman broke ground on an expanded one million square foot final assembly line facility at Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif. These facilities – and more to come – show how Northrop Grumman is moving with speed to meet the Air Force’s directive to accelerate B-21 production and deliver capability to the field.
• Ground & Flight Test: The B-21 is proving in test what it promised on paper: it’s the most advanced bomber in the fleet, and it behaves more like a modern fighter than a legacy bomber when it comes to maintenance turnaround times and cost per flying hour. As the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft, the B-21 is setting new benchmarks in materiel reliability, weapons loading and rapid data collection – all strong indicators it’s on track to be a true daily flyer.
  
  
• Northrop Grumman has already completed lifetimes of fatigue testing months ahead of schedule, further validating the strength and resilience of the B-21’s design. On the flight line, the combined test team is pushing a robust tempo in alignment with the Department of War’s call to operate on solid wartime footing. Each sortie adds to a growing body of data and confidence, moving the B-21 one step closer to joining the operational fleet.
  
  
• Preparing America’s Warfighters: The advanced technology Northrop Grumman is developing for 21st-century airmen will help our warfighters fix, fly, fight and win with the B-21. Northrop Grumman continues to partner closely with the Air Force as we stress-test the entire system, including the first detachment squadron now operating at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Northrop Grumman is also preparing for long-term sustainment with a sharp focus on getting the B-21 Raider on the ramp in 2027, building on decades of expertise in maintaining stealth platforms.
  
  

Northrop Grumman’s B-21 forms the backbone of future U.S. air power, leading a powerful family of systems that deliver a new era of capability and flexibility by seamlessly integrating data, sensors and weapons. Built with next-generation stealth, advanced networking and an open systems architecture, the B-21 is specifically designed for high-threat environments, ensuring the U.S. Air Force is equipped to accomplish its most challenging missions.

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IMAGE CAPTION:

Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider advances into weapons testing, demonstrating its ability to carry and employ combat power as production accelerates and flight testing progresses ahead of aircraft on the ramp at Ellsworth AFB in 2027. (Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force)