Early Risk Reduction For The Bomber Of The Future
With two B-21 test articles in production in Palmdale, Northrop Grumman will soon be flying a digital marvel of the 21st Century.
By Breaking Defense on April 06, 2021 at 11:35 AM
Northrop Grumman uses its Highly Immersive Virtual Environments (HIVEs) to support a variety of programs, including GBSD and Minuteman III, shown here. The B-21 Raider program uses the HIVE to virtually install and validate the maintainability of aircraft components in advance of production.
In just over two years since completing Critical Design Review, Northrop Grumman has brought its digital design of the B-21 Raider to life, with two test aircraft in production today. With first flight scheduled for 2022, we discuss the program’s status with Steve Sullivan, vice president and general manager, Strike Division.
Breaking Defense: The B-21 Raider is the first U.S. Air Force bomber being built in over 30 years. What sets this program apart from past programs?
Steve Sullivan: The Air Force has asked Northrop Grumman to deliver a 21st century platform that is affordable, producible, sustainable and maintainable, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
https://breakingdefense.com/2021/04/early-risk-reduction-for-the-bomber-of-the-future/
