How Flying Test Bed Work Has Helped B-21 Make Good Progress
March 5, 2025 | By John A. Tirpak
AURORA, Colo.—The first B-21 bomber is making good progress through its flight testing campaign and has required minimal software tweaks, building on extensive shakeouts of its systems carried out on a flying test bed, the president of Northrop Grumman’s aeronautics division said at the AFA Warfare Symposium on March 5.
Tom Jones, speaking on a panel about next-generation aircraft, said he is “very pleased” with both the test results and the cadence of B-21 testing, saying the new bomber flies sorties at least twice a week at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The B-21 has been in testing for a little more than a year now, but the program is largely classified, and Jones’ remarks are the first update on the aircraft’s performance in months.
Given that it has been the first year of testing an aircraft with so many new technologies, Jones said, the B-21’s progress has been ahead of expectations and “we’re seeing a good margin” on performance. He also said there has only been one software change for the B-21 in its first year.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/b-21-good-progress-flying-test-bed/
