User Panel
https://www.northropgrumman.com/what-we-do/air/B-21-Need-To-Know Benefitting from more than three decades of strike and stealth technology innovation, the B-21 is the next evolution of the U.S. Air Force strategic bomber fleet and the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft to reach the skies. When it comes to delivering America’s resolve, the Raider will provide the Air Force with long range, high survivability and mission payload flexibility. The B-21 will penetrate the toughest defenses for precision strikes anywhere in the world. Here is what you need to know about Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider as it continues flight test. Sixth Generation. The B-21 Raider is setting standards for sixth-generation technology. On the outside, next-gen stealth and advancements in low observable processes will make the aircraft easier and less costly to maintain than prior systems. Inside, the B-21’s open architecture will enable rapid upgradability from inclusion of new weapons to software upgrades thanks to advanced networking capabilities and successful cloud environment migration. With these innovations, the B-21 is designed to meet evolving threats for decades to come. Partnership Approach. The B-21 Raider program is reimagining traditional acquisition processes. Through active contract management, Northrop Grumman and the Air Force have worked in a partnership focused on shared success over the long term. The teams’ focus on transparency is evident in the industry-first data sharing agreement that provides the end user with access to valuable data, including the B-21 digital twin. Backbone of the Fleet. The B-21 Raider forms the backbone of the future for U.S. air power. The B-21 will deliver a new era of capability and flexibility through advanced integration of data, sensors and weapons. Capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear payloads, the B-21 will be one of the most effective aircraft in the sky, with the ability to use a broad mix of stand-off and direct attack munitions. Production Focus. A key strategy of the program was to build a production representative first test aircraft. Rather than a prototype, the B-21 test aircraft is equipped with mission systems and was built by the same manufacturing technicians using the same processes and tooling for production aircraft. The body of knowledge and experience gleaned in the development process supports a smooth transition into production on the path to delivering operational capability. A Digital Aircraft. Northrop Grumman uses agile software development and digital engineering tools to mitigate production risk and enable modern sustainment practices for the B-21 program. Ground testing demonstrated the efficacy of digital modeling with results that outperformed industry standards, paving the way for next-gen platforms and systems. Advanced Manufacturing. By embracing the benefits of advanced manufacturing, Northrop Grumman invested in a digital ecosystem for the B-21 throughout the aircraft’s lifecycle. From training and augmented reality tools allowing technicians to visualize tasks and solve problems before ever touching the plane, to easing integration of supplier parts on the aircraft, these advancements have reduced risk, supported efficiency and cultivated expertise throughout the manufacturing workforce. A National Team. Since contract award in 2015, Northrop Grumman has assembled a nationwide team to design, test and build the world’s most advanced strike aircraft. The B-21 team includes more than 8,000 personnel from Northrop Grumman, industry partners and the Air Force, with more than 400 suppliers across 40 states. The partnership approach extends to the flight test campaign. Initially stood up in 2019, the B-21 Combined Test Force is comprised of Northrop Grumman and Air Force personnel working together to conduct flight test operations prior to aircraft delivery. Sustainment at the Forefront. Sustainment was a program priority throughout the B-21 program’s design phase. In addition to driving efficiency over the long term, this approach yields more near-term benefits and sets the B-21 further along on tech data, materiel readiness and training which will benefit the user community upon fielding. Global Reach. The B-21 Raider is pivotal to supporting our nation’s strategic deterrence strategy. In addition to its advanced long-range precision strike capabilities that will afford Combatant Commanders the ability to hold any target, anywhere in the world at risk, it is designed as the lead component of a larger family of systems that will deliver intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic attack and multi-domain networking capabilities. In a dynamic global security environment, the B-21 will provide the flexibility and deterrence critical to the security of the U.S. and our allies. Continuing the Legacy. The B-21 Raider is named in honor of the Doolittle Raid of World War II when 80 airmen, led by Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle, and 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers set off on a mission that changed the course of the war. The raid was a catalyst to a multitude of future progress in U.S. air superiority and serves as the inspiration behind the Raider name and the pioneering, innovative spirit instilled across the workforce bringing the B-21 to life. |
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Quoted: And once we're in NATO, the US will graciously donate a few to us. We'll have them flying lazy eights over the Baltic. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: LordEC911 Quoted: When are they expected in service and how many ~100. Sources vary between 80-120. Only ~$600m each. 2027 is current projection. I've read 300 ordered. And once we're in NATO, the US will graciously donate a few to us. We'll have them flying lazy eights over the Baltic. No, you have to buy from someone else |
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Quoted: Is the b-21 smaller then the b-2? View Quote According to this infograph, yes. Found here- https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/the-raider-takes-shape/ |
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Quoted: They made some downright confusing decisions on the B-2 though. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Under budget and ahead of schedule. NG should get more business, but they aren't dirty enough in DC. They made some downright confusing decisions on the B-2 though. When MDD was killing it and Boeing was just trying to learn how to snort the DC drug money. Completely different scene now. |
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Quoted: 30 years ago? When MDD was killing it and Boeing was just trying to learn how to snort the DC drug money. Completely different scene now. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Under budget and ahead of schedule. NG should get more business, but they aren't dirty enough in DC. They made some downright confusing decisions on the B-2 though. When MDD was killing it and Boeing was just trying to learn how to snort the DC drug money. Completely different scene now. Perhaps. Hopefully they've realized that they should use actual downlocks rather than springs. |
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The plane almost looks like an alien space craft in some photos, and in other pics it is freaking gorgeous. What a beautiful plane. I hope they build at least 50 of them for the next generation of B61-13. It's pretty obvious there is a strong faction in world politics who would like the USA to go away by death so this should remind the other side we are humble, compassionate people who wish nor want to do harm, but if you make me.............. are you really sure you mean it cause............ We will survive.
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good quality video + B-2 takeoff
B-21 Raider & B-2 Spirit Takeoff |
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Quoted: No you can build a Gripenbom?ömben or whatever View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: LordEC911 Quoted: When are they expected in service and how many ~100. Sources vary between 80-120. Only ~$600m each. 2027 is current projection. I've read 300 ordered. And once we're in NATO, the US will graciously donate a few to us. We'll have them flying lazy eights over the Baltic. No you can build a Gripenbom?ömben or whatever No, you will provide me with stealth bombers, nukes, pallets of cash, and a big-tittied Latina. Thats the deal. |
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Quoted: IMHO any environment where there are "modern air defenses" rule out any non-stealth aircraft flying over it. Helicopters, F-15s, F-16s, tankers, C-130s, all of the non-stealthy boys. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: It's not nostalgia. It's because they're ignorant fools. Just like the A-10... Keep it flying! Why? Because reasons! Brrrrrrt. I've never met in person anyone who has a vested interest in any airframe the military deploys other than being tax payers. Outside of paying deeply out of my ass for taxes I don't really care much if the AF keeps 10s and 52s until they run out of spare parts. Your taxes will never decrease. Why do you care what jet they fly on your dime? I'd rather fly antique jets than pay for any social programs. Problem being we've royally pissed off Russia and Iran now, and any potential conflict where the A-10's utility might be attractive would almost certainly be spiced up by the proliferation of MANPADS. The money that keeps those things flying could be better used in about a million ways. IMHO any environment where there are "modern air defenses" rule out any non-stealth aircraft flying over it. Helicopters, F-15s, F-16s, tankers, C-130s, all of the non-stealthy boys. A high density SAM environment with radar sets arrayed so attackers pass with the radar abeam is lethal. |
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Quoted: They won GBSD lol. That's a huge program. IBCS and it's FMS has slowly been ramping up too. They're not hurting by any means. They did get fucked on the initial AIR6500 program which Lockheed won but that was due to Northrops australian subsidiary snatching defeat from the hands of victory. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Under budget and ahead of schedule. NG should get more business, but they aren't dirty enough in DC. I was impressed by the push back against the Navy from NG on some F-18EFG SLM issues. |
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Quoted: I was impressed by the push back against the Navy from NG on some F-18EFG SLM issues. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Under budget and ahead of schedule. NG should get more business, but they aren't dirty enough in DC. I was impressed by the push back against the Navy from NG on some F-18EFG SLM issues. |
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Just avoid getting water in the sensors (actually they know how to fix issue now).
Dark Footage: The Only Operational B-2 Stealth Bomber Crash Caught on Tape |
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Quoted: No, you will provide me with stealth bombers, nukes, pallets of cash, and a big-tittied Latina. Thats the deal. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: LordEC911 Quoted: When are they expected in service and how many ~100. Sources vary between 80-120. Only ~$600m each. 2027 is current projection. I've read 300 ordered. And once we're in NATO, the US will graciously donate a few to us. We'll have them flying lazy eights over the Baltic. No you can build a Gripenbom?ömben or whatever No, you will provide me with stealth bombers, nukes, pallets of cash, and a big-tittied Latina. Thats the deal. Why would we do this? |
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Quoted: The B-2 wing started with a simpler trailing edge that had to be modified to stiffen it to help avoid flutter. No one wanted that compromise. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
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Quoted: Just avoid getting water in the sensors (actually they know how to fix issue now). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zZFD1KAl64 View Quote They knew how to fix it then. The GACS troops would use the pitot heat to boil off the water in the sensors when they would grow an error. It wasn’t in the flight manual (or he maintenance manual either for that matter). |
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Quoted: Quoted: It is awesome, but what does it do that missiles don't do? Loiter for hours. Right, one of the primary missions of the B-2 was to penetrate Soviet airspace undetected and roam around hunting for & killing the road mobile ICBM's. Problem still exists today and so much more. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: LordEC911 Quoted: When are they expected in service and how many ~100. Sources vary between 80-120. Only ~$600m each. 2027 is current projection. I've read 300 ordered. And once we're in NATO, the US will graciously donate a few to us. We'll have them flying lazy eights over the Baltic. No you can build a Gripenbom?ömben or whatever No, you will provide me with stealth bombers, nukes, pallets of cash, and a big-tittied Latina. Thats the deal. Why would we do this? We're allies now, and you're the Arsenal of Freedom. That means nukes and Latinas for us. |
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Quoted: We're allies now, and you're the Arsenal of Freedom. That means nukes and Latinas for us. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: LordEC911 Quoted: When are they expected in service and how many ~100. Sources vary between 80-120. Only ~$600m each. 2027 is current projection. I've read 300 ordered. And once we're in NATO, the US will graciously donate a few to us. We'll have them flying lazy eights over the Baltic. No you can build a Gripenbom?ömben or whatever No, you will provide me with stealth bombers, nukes, pallets of cash, and a big-tittied Latina. Thats the deal. Why would we do this? We're allies now, and you're the Arsenal of Freedom. That means nukes and Latinas for us. Whoever pushes the refutrash out first wins. Obviously you can keep any properly assimilated immigrants who know about midsummer |
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Quoted: We're allies now, and you're the Arsenal of Freedom. That means nukes and Latinas for us. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: LordEC911 Quoted: When are they expected in service and how many ~100. Sources vary between 80-120. Only ~$600m each. 2027 is current projection. I've read 300 ordered. And once we're in NATO, the US will graciously donate a few to us. We'll have them flying lazy eights over the Baltic. No you can build a Gripenbom?ömben or whatever No, you will provide me with stealth bombers, nukes, pallets of cash, and a big-tittied Latina. Thats the deal. Why would we do this? We're allies now, and you're the Arsenal of Freedom. That means nukes and Latinas for us. We’ll let you play in the NATO Nuclear Planning Group but as much as I love the Grippen it isn’t dual capable. And be careful what you wish for. We’ll ship a couple million Latinos. |
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Quoted: We're allies now, and you're the Arsenal of Freedom. That means nukes and Latinas for us. View Quote |
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i feel like their definition of gen 6 is unclear and not much of a jump over current gen 5 tech. just slightly better and maybe cheaper to maintain. it's hot marketing words more than capability at this point
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Quoted: i feel like their definition of gen 6 is unclear and not much of a jump over current gen 5 tech. just slightly better and maybe cheaper to maintain. it's hot marketing words more than capability at this point View Quote I believe gen 6 requires optionally manned as well as control of other aircraft. In regards to the second point, that's been left vague. Do they mean drones? Or do they mean SUTER? Whoops sorry your missile "malfunctioned" |
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Things are so crazy right now I wouldn't rule out the possibility that we see export sales of the B-21. I think the Japanese have shown interest and to be honest they are about the only country on the planet I might trust to properly maintain stealth coatings.
Australia is leasing Virginia Class submarines. Is anything on a B-21 as classified as the reactor core on one of those? At the least we are probably going to see these things forward deployed to Guam and England. If the balloon goes up they will likely be escorted into battle by foreign F-35s. |
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View Quote That B-21 |
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Quoted: Things are so crazy right now I wouldn't rule out the possibility that we see export sales of the B-21. I think the Japanese have shown interest and to be honest they are about the only country on the planet I might trust to properly maintain stealth coatings. Australia is leasing Virginia Class submarines. Is anything on a B-21 as classified as the reactor core on one of those? At the least we are probably going to see these things forward deployed to Guam and England. If the balloon goes up they will likely be escorted into battle by foreign F-35s. View Quote Possible the changed they core as well. One of the coolest things about the Ford class is the massive power upgrade it got. I think it's double or triple the power of a Nimitz. I could see us giving the Aussies an old version. "You can have an LA class core, we're done with them now." |
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Quoted: Was it something Northrop was doing or was it some combination of DoD requirements and Boeing fuckery piled on? I'm not as familiar with Northrop's Aeronautics Systems group. Most of my experience with/for them is in the Defense and Space Systems sectors. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Under budget and ahead of schedule. NG should get more business, but they aren't dirty enough in DC. I was impressed by the push back against the Navy from NG on some F-18EFG SLM issues. The Navy controls the F-18 business at Boeing, and Boeing falls in line with every demand no matter, including when it violates corporate policy and adds risk for loss of ISO certification (LOL). NG resists those demands. Forget efficient engineering, the Navy demands detailed reports including the minutiae that qualified analysts will not write in an analysis. The Navy attempts to use those reports as training for its engineers tasked to depots. It doesn't work when those guys are fresh out of school, but it could if they lean on the job shoppers for advice and ojt. The F-18EF was fielded without a repair manual. That's fairly close enough to unconscionable, so the fleet has relied on legacy Navy tech orders and other internal resources, and tech reps that hopefully check in occasionally for almost 30 years. I worked on the new manual and then reports for the Service Life Modification (essentially SLEP, except a new acronym was apparently required to keep the bureaucracies running). The low points of my career, absolutely horrible and offensive. I don't know which life number after SLM is advertised now, it floated from 9000 to 10000 hours and back. The analysis was conducted to find 12000 hours. I can think of one instance of a cracked keel that won't, despite the numbers, it has a bad load path that induces a huge moment that can only be countered by a huge beef up in the lower flange and webs. |
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Quoted: The Navy controls the F-18 business at Boeing, and Boeing falls in line with every demand no matter, including when it violates corporate policy and adds risk for loss of ISO certification (LOL). NG resists those demands. Forget efficient engineering, the Navy demands detailed reports including the minutiae that qualified analysts will not write in an analysis. The Navy attempts to use those reports as training for its engineers tasked to depots. It doesn't work when those guys are fresh out of school, but it could if they lean on the job shoppers for advice and ojt. The F-18EF was fielded without a repair manual. That's fairly close enough to unconscionable, so the fleet has relied on legacy Navy tech orders and other internal resources, and tech reps that hopefully check in occasionally for almost 30 years. I worked on the new manual and then reports for the Service Life Modification (essentially SLEP, except a new acronym was apparently required to keep the bureaucracies running). The low points of my career, absolutely horrible and offensive. I don't know which life number after SLM is advertised now, it floated from 9000 to 10000 hours and back. The analysis was conducted to find 12000 hours. I can think of one instance of a cracked keel that won't, despite the numbers, it has a bad load path that induces a huge moment that can only be countered by a huge beef up in the lower flange and webs. View Quote Hearing things like that I would not be surprised if the F-35C winds up being retired sooner than most people expect. |
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Quoted:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F-lNlTybQAAbWx8?format=jpg&name=large View Quote |
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Quoted: i feel like their definition of gen 6 is unclear and not much of a jump over current gen 5 tech. just slightly better and maybe cheaper to maintain. it's hot marketing words more than capability at this point View Quote It might be in relation to stealth technology rather than general post WW2 bomber design? |
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Quoted: Hearing things like that I would not be surprised if the F-35C winds up being retired sooner than most people expect. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: The Navy controls the F-18 business at Boeing, and Boeing falls in line with every demand no matter, including when it violates corporate policy and adds risk for loss of ISO certification (LOL). NG resists those demands. Forget efficient engineering, the Navy demands detailed reports including the minutiae that qualified analysts will not write in an analysis. The Navy attempts to use those reports as training for its engineers tasked to depots. It doesn't work when those guys are fresh out of school, but it could if they lean on the job shoppers for advice and ojt. The F-18EF was fielded without a repair manual. That's fairly close enough to unconscionable, so the fleet has relied on legacy Navy tech orders and other internal resources, and tech reps that hopefully check in occasionally for almost 30 years. I worked on the new manual and then reports for the Service Life Modification (essentially SLEP, except a new acronym was apparently required to keep the bureaucracies running). The low points of my career, absolutely horrible and offensive. I don't know which life number after SLM is advertised now, it floated from 9000 to 10000 hours and back. The analysis was conducted to find 12000 hours. I can think of one instance of a cracked keel that won't, despite the numbers, it has a bad load path that induces a huge moment that can only be countered by a huge beef up in the lower flange and webs. Hearing things like that I would not be surprised if the F-35C winds up being retired sooner than most people expect. Maintenance will kill the program. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/09/22/gao-blasts-contractor-led-f-35-maintenance-as-costly-slow/ First thing is to institute accountability for spares and stop the leakage. As the airplane ages, the readiness rate will decrease. After a fix requires a couple of invasive penetrations through the outer moldline the next critical problem won't be repairable. |
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