The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider has begun taxi testing in at Northrop’s facilities at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, according to the US Air Force (USAF).
“I can confirm the B-21 is conducting ground taxi activities,” a USAF spokesperson told Janes . “Rigorous testing is a critical step in the B-21 flight-test programme. Extensive testing evaluates systems, components, and functionalities. This testing allows us to mitigate risks, optimise design, and enhance operational effectiveness.”
The service declined to provide additional information. Northrop Grumman referred questions to the USAF.
Testing of the B-21 is largely taking place in secret, and such details as the aircraft’s planform, range, and payload capacity are classified. Northrop Grumman announced that it had turned on the aircraft’s engines in September, and in July that the aircraft had switched on its electrical power system.
The B-21 is scheduled to conduct its first flight in late 2023, with initial operational capability scheduled for 2025, although delays are common for new aircraft programmes.
The USAF intends to purchase at least 100 B-21s to replace the Boeing B-1 and Northrop Grumman B-2 in both conventional and nuclear attack missions.
Northrop Grumman’s Low Rate Initial Production contract for the B-21 bomber will only come after first flight, senior company officials confirmed on their third quarter earnings call, but they are confident the event will happen by the end of this year.
“First flight is a milestone that the Air Force is looking to achieve before they make that award,”
Northrop chief executive officer Kathy Warden said Oct. 26.
“The first Low Rate Initial Production contracts will be awarded in the fourth quarter,” added Dave Keffer, Northrop’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. “That’s consistent with our expectations that we’ve described throughout the year, and reliant on first flight occurring between now and that contract award.”
Keffer also said Northrop continues to
“evaluate our performance and our outlook on the LRIP phase of the program each quarter. We did not make any significant changes to our estimates for that phase during the third quarter.”
Northrop won’t make any money on the B-21 in the LRIP phase, due to higher labor costs and inflation on the fixed-price contract.
“As we’ve consistently said, through the year, we are planning at a zero profitability,” she said. “But we have to perform and we are working hard to ensure”
that the company hits its contractual marks. The B-21 will likely become profitable when it reaches full rate production, she has said in previous calls.
Sources: Janes; Air & Space Forces Magazine