B-21 Raider bomber: latest achievements and plans for the future
Air Force and Northrop Grumman are ready for the presentation
The US Air Force and Northrop Grumman have set a date for the official presentation of the first experienced B-21 Raider strategic bomber. On December 2, this car will be shown to the public and, probably, its various features and main technical characteristics will be revealed. At the same time, the prototype aircraft is already ready. It was completed a few months ago, and now it is undergoing preliminary ground tests.
During a year
The development of the B-21 project was completed in 2018-19, and construction of the first prototype aircraft began shortly thereafter. The assembly of the new type of bombers was entrusted to Air Force Plant No. 42 in Palmdale, California, where the serial construction of B-2A aircraft was previously carried out. Subsequently, several following boards were laid in the workshops of the enterprise.
At the end of February 2022, the Air Force reported that six new aircraft were already in various stages of construction in Palmdale. At the same time, the first was already almost ready and was soon to go to the test bench, and the assembly of the sixth started only recently. A few weeks after that, the first Raider was put on a preliminary "calibration".
The first stage of ground tests was completed in early May. During these events, power was supplied to the head prototype from the outside, with the help of which all systems and assemblies were checked. We also made the necessary adjustments and improvements. At this stage, the aircraft received a paint coating.
The development company claimed that in the near future ground tests would move to a new stage. After all the preliminary checks, it was planned to carry out the first start of the engines and re-check the operation of all systems. After that, tests were to begin at the airfield with taxiing and running at different speeds. The launch of such events has not yet been announced.
Also in May, it was reported that the first flight of the experimental B-21 was postponed to the next 2023. At the same time, they promised to hold a public roll-out of the finished aircraft. This event, it was then claimed, was to take place in the coming weeks. However, six months have passed since then, and the bomber has not yet been shown to the public.
The updated plans were revealed in September during the Air Force Association's annual conference. It was announced that the first of the experienced B-21 is already ready, and they plan to show it to the public in December. In connection with this, an official promotional image was released showing the aircraft under the cover.
At the same time, plant No. 42 continues to fulfill the order received. Five more prototypes remain on the stocks at various stages of assembly. From this it follows that the work continues and, apparently, cope with the tasks. At the same time, the second and subsequent boards are not yet ready even for preliminary tests, and mass production is still a matter of the distant future.
Plans for the future
In October, the customer and contractor decided on the exact date of the official demonstration of the new bomber. The first B-21 Raider will be shown to the public on December 2 as part of a special ceremony. The event will take place in Palmdale, at the manufacturing plant.
Immediately after the presentation, the aircraft will be returned to the test base. The exact schedule for further work has not yet been disclosed. From the reports of recent months, it follows that checks on the runway should begin in the near future - so far without flights.
It was previously reported that the first flight of an experienced B-21 could take place before the end of 2022, but now the plans have been revised. The start of flight tests was postponed to the next 2023. The exact or approximate date of the first flight has not yet been reported. However, it is clear that Northrop Grumman has at least two months to prepare for this event. If the project does not encounter unforeseen difficulties, this may be enough for all procedures and activities.
Due to the complexity of the project, full-fledged tests of the bomber will take several years and will be completed in the middle of this decade. The first board is planned to be handed over to the customer in 2025-26. or later - if any difficulties arise. In the same time frame, Northrop Grumman and plant #42 should start mass production.
Bombers in action
According to the published schedule, the first production B-21 aircraft will enter the combat units of the US Air Force after 2026-27. By the beginning of the thirties, it is planned to form the first squadron and bring it to the stage of initial operational readiness.
Aircraft model in a real hangar
The general plans for the production of new bombers are well known. Back in 2016, after signing a development contract, the Pentagon announced their desire to build at least a hundred aircraft. In the future, such plans were refined. So, 80 units were called the minimum allowable quantity, and if additional funding is available, the series can be increased to 140-145 units.
The production of at least 80-100 aircraft of a new type can continue for several decades; the estimated time frame for the construction of such a series has not yet been called. At the same time, the new B-21s in large numbers will seriously upgrade the long-range fleet. aviation US Air Force. With their help, they will completely replace the existing B-1B aircraft (45 units in service) and B-2A (20 units). In addition, a partial replacement of the older and well-deserved B-52H (58 units) is not ruled out.
The new type of bombers will be operated in existing units and formations, which are currently armed with B-1B and B-2A. In early 2020, the Air Force showed what such a service would look like. They published photo collages of Raider aircraft in the existing hangars at Deyss, Ellsworth and Whiteman AFBs. In one of these “pictures”, a promising aircraft was depicted against the background of combatant B-1Bs.
Intentions and results
The B-21 Raider long-range strategic missile-carrying bomber is one of the most important promising developments for the US Air Force. With the help of this project, in the medium term, it is planned to upgrade the critical component of the air fleet and bring it to the required level. For this reason, the B-21 project is given all the necessary attention - and some of its successes are regularly reported.
To date, the customer and performers have created a new reason for pride and optimistic statements. The construction of the first experimental bomber has been completed, and it has successfully passed the initial testing and tuning in the conditions of the factory floor. This allows you to prepare the aircraft for full-fledged tests at the airfield. In addition, the prototype is ready for the first demonstration to the general public.
Recent ones news show that so far the B-21 project as a whole is proceeding in accordance with the plans and wishes of the customer. However, it is not without difficulties. It is likely that it was some difficulties or problems that recently forced us to revise the work schedule and move the presentation of the aircraft by several months, and postpone the first flight to 2023.
Nevertheless, such difficulties have been overcome, and the exact date of the first show has already been set. Soon after that, having completed the necessary work, they can also approve the schedule for airfield tests, incl. date of first flight. However, only the year of the first flight has been determined so far, which leaves a lot of room for maneuver in accordance with newly emerging circumstances.
Reasons for optimism
Thus, the process of creating a promising strategic bomber B-21 Raider is gradually moving towards completion. A few years ago, Northrop Grumman developed a project and began building several prototype aircraft at once, and now we are talking about rolling out and presenting the first of them. All this is cause for optimism.
However, only one prototype has been built so far, and it is only passing the first tests. It is necessary to carry out a lot of other work and activities that will confirm the compliance of the finished aircraft with the wishes of the customer and the requirements for operation in the Air Force. Whether it will be possible to cope with them within the approved schedule is a big question. But the Pentagon is sure of success.
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