The Briefing Room

General Category => Military/Defense News => Topic started by: rangerrebew on January 23, 2024, 04:29:52 pm

Title: B-21 Raider stealth bomber in production, Pentagon says
Post by: rangerrebew on January 23, 2024, 04:29:52 pm

B-21 Raider stealth bomber in production, Pentagon says
The Air Force recently confirmed the secretive plane was continuing flight testing out of Edwards Air Force Base.
By   MICHAEL MARROW
on January 22, 2024 at 6:01 PM
 

UPDATED 1/22/24 at 9:00 PM ET with comment from Northrop Grumman.

WASHINGTON — Following the first flight of the Air Force’s newest stealth bomber, the Pentagon has formally approved the B-21 Raider program to begin production, the Pentagon’s top acquisition official confirmed to Breaking Defense today.

“Production of the B-21 ‘Raider’ stealth bomber is moving forward. This past fall, based on the results of ground and flight tests and the team’s mature plans for manufacturing, I gave the go-ahead to begin producing B-21s at a low rate,” Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment William LaPlante said in a statement.

“One of the key attributes of this program has been designing for production from the start — and at scale — to provide a credible deterrent to adversaries. If you don’t produce and field to warfighters at scale, the capability doesn’t really matter,” he added.

Further detail about the contract award value and delivery dates were not immediately available. News of the bomber beginning production was first reported by Bloomberg.

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/01/b-21-raider-stealth-bomber-in-production-pentagon-says/

Title: Re: B-21 Raider stealth bomber in production, Pentagon says
Post by: PeteS in CA on January 23, 2024, 05:22:02 pm

My guess is that these first planes will be basically prototypes produced to develop and prove the processes that will eventually be used for full-scale production. The planes produced will likely have flight envelope restrictions that will eventually be turned off, and some SW functions that have not yet been installed.

Title: Re: B-21 Raider stealth bomber in production, Pentagon says
Post by: DefiantMassRINO on January 23, 2024, 06:00:13 pm

I hope this program is not a procurement turd like Littoral Combat Ships and F-35's.

Title: Re: B-21 Raider stealth bomber in production, Pentagon says
Post by: corbe on January 23, 2024, 06:17:26 pm

   I suspect it won't have the longevity of this prototype (YB-52) from 1952.

(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/16/55/af/1655afbd4671b9e415f6d59efc13d5d8--make-it-boss.jpg)