The Air Force’s next-generation nuclear bomber is winding its way through production, but don’t expect to see it flying until December 2021 at the earliest, the service’s rapid capabilities office (RCO) director said Oct. 24.
The service has its first B-21 Raider test jet moving through production at prime contractor Northrop Grumman’s facilities in Palmdale, California, said Randall Walden at an Air Force Association breakfast event on Capitol Hill. “There’s real work on the production line, literally today,” he said.
The program is about one year out since completing its critical design review, “which should tell you that we’re ready to actually start building big parts, and we are doing that,” Walden said.
Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson previously confirmed at a July AFA event that first flight for the B-21 Raider was expected around December 2021. Walden confirmed Thursday that the RCO was also tracking that timeline, however he “would not bet on that date.”
“There are a lot of things that lead up to a first flight that have to be accomplished,” he noted. “But in general terms, that is what we’re shooting for.”
A public rollout is expected once the Raider is finally ready for first flight, he added. “We can’t just say we’re going to sneak it out and get a first flight in.”
The Air Force recently reactivated the 420th Flight Test Squadron to support testing of the Raider at Edwards Air Force Base, California, he noted. The 420th – which previously supported testing of the Air Force’s B-2 Spirit bomber – is organized under the 412th Test Wing at Edwards, a short drive from Northrop Grumman’s facilities in Palmdale.
The program still includes a minimum of 100 aircraft, and the production line “should be able to handle that easily,” Walden said.
The Air Force announced earlier this year that Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, is the preferred first base to receive the B-21 as well as a formal training unit. Ellsworth currently hosts B-1B Lancer bombers under the 28th Bomb Wing. A final basing decision is expected around 2021.
This story first appeared in Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor affiliate publication Defense Daily.
