What You Need to Know About Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider
10 Novembre 2023 - 6:41PM
Benefitting from more than three decades of strike and stealth
technology innovation, the B-21 is the next evolution of the U.S.
Air Force strategic bomber fleet and the world’s first
sixth-generation aircraft to reach the skies.
When it comes to delivering America’s resolve, the
Raider will provide the Air Force with long range, high
survivability and mission payload flexibility. The B-21 will
penetrate the toughest defenses for precision strikes anywhere in
the world. Here is what you need to know about Northrop Grumman’s
B-21 Raider as it continues flight test.
- Sixth Generation. The B-21 Raider is setting
standards for sixth-generation technology. On the outside, next-gen
stealth and advancements in low observable processes will make the
aircraft easier and less costly to maintain than prior systems.
Inside, the B-21’s open architecture will enable rapid
upgradability from inclusion of new weapons to software upgrades
thanks to advanced networking capabilities and successful cloud
environment migration. With these innovations, the B-21 is designed
to meet evolving threats for decades to come.
- Partnership Approach. The B-21 Raider program
is reimagining traditional acquisition processes. Through active
contract management, Northrop Grumman and the Air Force have worked
in a partnership focused on shared success over the long term. The
teams’ focus on transparency is evident in the industry-first data
sharing agreement that provides the end user with access to
valuable data, including the B-21 digital twin.
- Backbone of the Fleet. The B-21 Raider forms
the backbone of the future for U.S. air power. The B-21 will
deliver a new era of capability and flexibility through advanced
integration of data, sensors and weapons. Capable of delivering
both conventional and nuclear payloads, the B-21 will be one of the
most effective aircraft in the sky, with the ability to use a broad
mix of stand-off and direct attack munitions.
- Production Focus. A key strategy of the
program was to build a production representative first test
aircraft. Rather than a prototype, the B-21 test aircraft is
equipped with mission systems and was built by the same
manufacturing technicians using the same processes and tooling for
production aircraft. The body of knowledge and experience gleaned
in the development process supports a smooth transition into
production on the path to delivering operational capability.
- A Digital Aircraft. Northrop Grumman uses
agile software development and digital engineering tools to
mitigate production risk and enable modern sustainment practices
for the B-21 program. Ground testing demonstrated the efficacy of
digital modeling with results that outperformed industry standards,
paving the way for next-gen platforms and systems.
- Advanced Manufacturing. By embracing the
benefits of advanced manufacturing, Northrop Grumman invested in a
digital ecosystem for the B-21 throughout the aircraft’s lifecycle.
From training and augmented reality tools allowing technicians to
visualize tasks and solve problems before ever touching the plane,
to easing integration of supplier parts on the aircraft, these
advancements have reduced risk, supported efficiency and cultivated
expertise throughout the manufacturing workforce.
- A National Team. Since contract award in 2015,
Northrop Grumman has assembled a nationwide team to design, test
and build the world’s most advanced strike aircraft. The B-21 team
includes more than 8,000 personnel from Northrop Grumman, industry
partners and the Air Force, with more than 400 suppliers across 40
states. The partnership approach extends to the flight test
campaign. Initially stood up in 2019, the B-21 Combined Test Force
is comprised of Northrop Grumman and Air Force personnel working
together to conduct flight test operations prior to aircraft
delivery.
- Sustainment at the Forefront. Sustainment was
a program priority throughout the B-21 program’s design phase. In
addition to driving efficiency over the long term, this approach
yields more near-term benefits and sets the B-21 further along on
tech data, materiel readiness and training which will benefit the
user community upon fielding.
- Global Reach. The B-21 Raider is pivotal to
supporting our nation’s strategic deterrence strategy. In addition
to its advanced long-range precision strike capabilities that will
afford Combatant Commanders the ability to hold any target,
anywhere in the world at risk, it is designed as the lead component
of a larger family of systems that will deliver intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic attack and multi-domain
networking capabilities. In a dynamic global security environment,
the B-21 will provide the flexibility and deterrence critical to
the security of the U.S. and our allies.
- Continuing the Legacy. The B-21 Raider is
named in honor of the Doolittle Raid of World War II when 80
airmen, led by Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle, and 16 B-25
Mitchell medium bombers set off on a mission that changed the
course of the war. The raid was a catalyst to a multitude of future
progress in U.S. air superiority and serves as the inspiration
behind the Raider name and the pioneering, innovative spirit
instilled across the workforce bringing the B-21 to life.
Contact: Vic Beck703-280-4456vic.beck@ngc.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6097e63b-54b6-4064-8500-4b5f0048769b
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