The stealth bomber B-21 Raider sixth-generation has received approval from the Pentagon, and Northrop Grumman has been authorized to begin production. As confirmed Air & Space Forces Magazinethe aerospace firm received the long-awaited contract for begin small-scale manufacturing of the aircraft.
According to said media, the agreement was signed before the end of 2023, just after the plane made its first test flight. While Northrop Grumman had introduced the B-21 Raider in late 2022, the program’s continuity depended on the success of the test initial with the machine in the air.
The details of the contract between the United States Department of Defense and the company they are kept secret. So it is not yet known how many units of the B-21 Raider bomber will be manufactured during the small-scale production process. Nor how much money will be allocated for such work.
Kathy Warden, president and CEO of Northrop Grumman, had reported in a call with shareholders last October that the company would not make a profit during limited production of the aircraft. But that would change once mass production was enabled.
The B-21 Raider, the world’s first sixth-generation stealth bomber, is estimated to have a unit cost of between 700 and 750 million dollars. However, experts in the aeronautical sector estimate that this figure may be subject to updates that cause it to increase.
The B-21 Raider bomber enters the production stage
William LaPlante, undersecretary of Defense for acquisition and sustainment, confirmed that the green light has been given to manufacture a limited number of units of the bomber.
“Production of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber is moving forward. One of the key attributes of this program has been designing for ground-up production—and at scale—to provide a credible deterrent to adversaries. If they are not produced and deployed scale combat aircraft, capabilities [de poderío militar] They don’t really matter.”
William LaPlante, a Air & Space Forces Magazine.
This week there could be news about the contract signed by Northrop Grumman and the Pentagon for the B-21 Raider. The Virginia-based firm is expected to present its financial report for the quarter this Thursday the 25th, and to take advantage of the occasion to release more data about the bomber deal.
From the Department of Defense they aspire to produce at least 100 B-21 Raider. However, it is not clear how many of them would be part of the initial limited order, nor when they could be fully operational.
Let’s keep in mind that the first unit has only flown a couple of times, the most recent being on January 17. It is estimated that another five are in different stages of the production line. The intention of Northrop Grumman and the US Air Force (USAF) would be to use virtually all of them as test aircraft.
Of the total of 6 existing B-21 Raider, counting the one that has already flown and the other five in assembly, only one would be final production and not for tests. The truth is that, once the manufacturing of its first batch has been approved, the sixth generation bomber takes a firm step towards its entry into service. Although, be careful, this will not happen immediately.
The Pentagon intends for the B-21 Raider to be under the command of the USAF from the second half of the current decade. However, the specific date has not yet been revealed. Once active, it will be used to replace part of the aging fleet of strategic bombers of the United States. Specifically, the B-2 Spirit, also from Northrop Grumman, and the B-1 Lancer, from Rockwell/Boeing.