In 2009, after almost 35 years without acquiring a strategic bomber, the US Air Force initiated the
Long Range Strike Bomber program to develop the most advanced bomber ever designed.
The program was ambitious and took almost a decade, but it paid off when Northrop Grumman
came up with a potential replacement for the B-52, B-1 Lancer, and the B-2 Spirit Bomber.
The Air Force’s new stealth bomber was finally unveiled in December of 2022.
From epic sounds to dramatic lightning, Grumman and the Air Force showed off
the B-21 Raider with a silhouette similar to that of the B-2 Spirit.
During the event, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III emphasized that it was the first
21st-century bomber and the product of over 50 years of advances in low-observable technology.
In his own words: (QUOTE) "Even the most
sophisticated air-defense systems will struggle to detect a B-21 in the sky."
Long Range Strike Bomber Program
In 2009, the US Air Force launched the Long Range Strike Bomber or LRS-B program to develop
and acquire a long-range strategic bomber. The objective was to create the definitive
replacement for the B-1 Lancer, the B-2 Spirit bomber, and the B-52 Stratofortress.
Funding and development were slow, but the program eventually accelerated in
2015 after increasing threats from China, North Korea, and Russia.
The Air Force’s request for proposals called for a strategic bomber that could
be quickly developed with existing technologies, be optionally manned,
compatible with a family of systems, and able to carry a considerable payload.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman all applied for the program, and in October of 2015,
the Defense Department awarded the contract to Grumman, mainly because of the costs involved.
Although the other two companies did not recognize it initially, the decision was final.
Consequently, Grumman continued working on a prototype based on the B-2,
a model which was also originally developed to replace the B-52 and the B-1 Lancer.
Northrop Grumman Rises
During the 2016 Air Warfare Symposium, Air Force officials announced that the LRS-B
would be designated the B-21 bomber because it was the first 21st-century American bomber.
Then, in the September 2016 Air Force Association conference,
retired Lieutenant Colonel Richard E. Cole, the last surviving member of the US Army Air
Forces’ pilots that participated in the Doolittle Raid of World War 2,
announced that the bomber would be named Raider in honor of the brave men he served alongside.
Barely any more information was shared with the public in the following years,
with only minor leaks about the prototype aircraft.
It was not until September of 2022 that Grumman published an
article listing ten facts about the B-21 Raider and its unveiling that December.
Grumman detailed that the Raider was developed to
become the backbone of the US Air Force Fleet, delivering a new era of capability
through advanced integration of data, sensors, and weapons.
With its global reach, Grumman noted the new stealth bomber would serve the nation's
strategic deterrence strategy. Particular emphasis was given to the sustainment,
affordability, and state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques of the B-21 Raider.
Coupled with this, Grumman and the Air Force successfully demonstrated the migration of
B-21 ground systems data to a cloud environment.
First 21st Century Bomber
On December 2, 2022, the United States Air Force and Northrop
Grumman Corporation officially unveiled the B-21 Raider at the US Air Force’s advanced
aircraft research and development facility in Palmdale, California.
The Raider is the first new American strategic
bomber in over 35 years and the first sixth-generation aircraft worldwide.
During the unveiling of the stealth strategic bomber, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin
III said the B-21 Raider is: (QUOTE) “A testament to America's enduring advantages in ingenuity and
innovation and it's proof of the department's long-term commitment to building advanced
capabilities that will fortify America's ability to deter aggression, today and into the future."
The Raider’s reveal was nothing short of epic. During the live stream,
dramatic music and dynamic lightning effects gave way to the elegant silhouette of the new bomber.
Almost instantly, the crowd was welcomed by a familiar figure, that of the iconic B-2
Spirit bomber, the Raider’s predecessor. The airframe shown was painted in white
instead of the usual black, hinting at a new type of concealing technology.
The reporters also noted there were no visible seams,
suggesting that the B-21 features new advanced materials that allow sensors,
air data systems, and communication antennas to be built directly into the airframe.
Austin added that it would be hard for any adversary to see the aircraft coming,
remarking: (QUOTE) "The B-21 looks imposing. But what's
under the frame and the space-age coatings is even more impressive."
Although no specific details were given about the model, the Air Force clarified that more
than 50 years of advances in low-observable technology went into the bomber’s development.
The Raider
The Secretary of Defense was joined by Grumman’s President Kathy Warden,
who said the B-21: (QUOTE) “Defines a new era in
technology and strengthens America’s role of delivering peace through deterrence.
This next-generation aircraft defines what this nation is capable of when we work together.”
The dramatic lighting used during the presentation kept some of the Raider’s parts in the shadows,
especially the rear. As such, information related to the propulsion system,
engine exhausts, and overall flight capabilities are still classified.
Based on comparisons, it looks like the B-21 is smaller than the B-2 Spirit,
which has a wingspan of over 172 feet. But Grumman and the Air Force emphasized the Raider
was designed to be the most maintainable bomber to date thanks to an open-system architecture.
Austin made it clear that: (QUOTE) “As the United States continues to innovate,
this bomber will be able to defend our country with new
weapons that haven't even been invented yet. And the B-21 is multi-functional.”
The Department of Defense also emphasized the B-21 will be able to conduct operations
ranging from intelligence gathering to battle management and seamless
integration with equipment employed by the United States and its allies.
In addition, the B-21 will also operate in crewed
or uncrewed configurations as part of its open systems architecture.
Finally, it is known that the Raider can carry conventional and nuclear weapons.
This includes the JASSM missile, the GBU-53B Stormbreaker bomb, the LRASM anti-ship missile,
nuclear ordnance such as the B61-12 gravity bomb, and the Long Range Stand Off missile.
Initial Deliveries
The
Department of Defense and Grumman announced that the B-21 Raider is one of the cheapest
bombers ever produced in US history, coming up at over 692 million per unit.
Meanwhile, TIME Magazine revealed the program
will cost US taxpayers over 203 billion during the next 30 years.
In early January of 2023, Chief Financial Officer Dave Keffer told the press he
expected a contract for the first of five low-rate initial production lots.
Keffer noted that this phase will last until the end of the decade but could go on longer
due to macroeconomic risks, such as inflation, labor issues, and supply chain disruptions.
Northrop Grumman President Kathy Warden also remarked
that the government is committed to buying at least 100 Raiders.
Warden stated the government has been very supportive of Northrop Grumman
and other defense firms and encouraged them to invest in future technologies.
The chief executive concluded by saying that the first flight of the B-21 Raider
is still scheduled for this year, following its impressive public debut in December of 2022.
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