U.S is testing its new stealth farmer self-aircrafts are designed to avoid
detection using a variety of technologies that reduce reflection emission of radar infrared
visible light radio frequency RF spectrum and audio collectively known as stealth technology
while no aircraft is totally invisible to radar stealth aircraft make it more difficult
for conventional radar to detect or track the aircraft effectively increasing the odds of
an aircraft successfully avoiding detection by enemy radar and or avoiding being successfully
targeted by radar-guided weapons stealth is the combination of passive low observable Lo features
and active emitters such as low probability of intercept Radars radios and Laser designators
the B2 spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear
Munitions and dramatic Leap Forward in technology the bomber represents a major milestone in the U.S
bomber modernization program the B2 brings massive Firepower to bear in a short time anywhere on the
globe through previously impenetrable defenses the Air Force's initial plans were to acquire
80 to 100 lrsb aircraft at a cost of 550 million dollars per unit and envisions some 175 to 200 to
be in service eventually a development contract was awarded to Northrop Grumman in October 2015.
a first look at the B-21 Raider bomber is coming soon the B-21 Raider the Air Force's next stealth
bomber will be unveiled to the public for the first time in early December Air Force acquisition
Chief Andrew Hunter said Tuesday Hunter during a round table with reporters at the Air Force
association's airspace cyber conference revealed the b-21s rollout will take place sometime during
the first week of December the Air Force has unveiled a new bomber since the B-2 Spirits
November 1988 debut at Air Force plant 42 in Palmdale California the b-2's first flight took
place in July 1989. the new Northrop Grumman made bomber has so far only been glimped in concept
art its first flight is expected to come sometime in 2023. a few months after the rollout Northrop
said in a release after Hunter's announcement that the date of the first flight will be set
based on the results of ground tests there are now six B-21 test aircrafts being assembled at
Northrop grumman's Palmdale facility the company said in the release the following phases of the
b-21s ground tests were to involve powering up the bomber and testing its subsystems and
applying Coatings and paint Northrop said in its May statement before the b-21's first flight from
plant 42 to Edwards Air Force Base in California Northrop Grumman will carry out engine runs and
low and high-speed taxi tests formal flight tests for the bomber will take place at Edwards
the Air Force originally helped as recently as 2019 that the b-21's first flight would come
in December 2021 but its schedule gradually slipped Ellsworth Air Force Base in South
Dakota will be the b-21's first main operating base with Whiteland Air Force Base in Missouri
and Dyess Air Force Base in Texas to follow the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is supposed
to be the U.S Air Force's USAF next great long-range bomber if Air Force expectations
pan out a hundred or more of the bombers will join the fleet in the next decades providing
the core of one-third of a nuclear Triad and a lethal Precision strike capability
the new rendering highlights the future stealth bomber with Edwards Air Force Base California
as the backdrop the B-21 program continues to undergo the engineering and Manufacturing
development phase and is focused on scaling the manufacturing infrastructure and capacity across
the Industrial Supply base to prepare for low rate initial production prime contractor
Northrop Grumman is manufacturing two units of the stilt aircraft at usaf's plant 41 in
Palmdale California the first of these is scheduled to have its first flight in 2022.
designed to perform long-range conventional and nuclear missions the B-21 will be a visible and
flexible component of the nuclear Triad nuclear modernization is a top priority
for the Department of Defense in the Air Force and B-21 is key to that plan said
Randall Walden Air Force rapid capabilities office director the nuclear-capable bomber
is named B-21 Raider in honor of the Doolittle Raiders the US Army Air Force
man who launched 16v25s off the flight deck of the USS Hornet in a surprise attack that
led Japan to withdraw combat forces for home defense during World War II in April
1942 the B-21 designation also signifies the aircraft as the 21st Century's first bomber
the aircraft is being built at Northrop grumman's manufacturing facilities at Air Force plant 42 in
Palmdale California the first six aircraft were in different stages of production and testing as of
May 2022 the first loads calibration test of the B-21 aircraft was completed in May 2022 as part
of ground testing the testing involved calibration of the aircraft's instrumentation and verification
of structural Integrity ahead of the planned first flight in 2023 the Dyess Air Force Base AFB
Texas Ellsworth AFB South Dakota and Whiteman AFB Missouri were named the preferred main operating
basis for the B-21 Fleet the built-in feature of open systems architecture on the B-21 makes the
bomber effective as a threat environment evolves this aircraft design approach since the nation
on the right path to ensuring America's enduring air power capability USAF plans to incrementally
replace the B1 Lancer and the B2 Spirit bombers to form a Two Bomber Fleet of b-21s and modified
B-52s the b-51 program is on track to deliver b-21s to the first operational base Ellsworth
AFB South Dakota in the mid-2020s congressman Adam Smith surely house armed services committee
said the briefing was one of the most positive encouraging things that I've had happened to me
in the last couple of weeks Smith explained the U.S Air Force appears to have learned the lessons
of the over budget F-35 program by contrast the B-21 is on time on budget and they're making it
work in a very intelligent way the U.S Air Force wants to acquire at least 145 B-21 Raiders from
Northrop Grumman estimated to cost in excess of 90 billion dollars B21 Raider design and features
the B21 Raider features a flying wing structure its design includes a large and flexible payload
Bay that is expected to carry existing and Future Weapons the design features an open
systems architecture which will allow for easy integration of new sensors or other subsystems
from various suppliers the architecture will enable easy upgrades to the aircraft
with Advanced Technologies to meet the challenges posed by evolving threats the B-21 Raider will be
a vital part of a larger family of conventional long-range strike systems and complementary
systems including electronic attack intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance ISR communication
and other capabilities it will be able to operate in future anti-access area denial environments
the long range and large payload are strongly indicative of B-21 being subsonic the bomber
is also expected to provide the flexibility to launch both conventional and nuclear Munitions it
will be able to provide penetrating and surviving capabilities in advanced air defense environments
it will support manned as well as unmanned operations it will be armed with Conventional
Weapons the long-range standoff lrso missile and b-6112 gravity bombs stealth capabilities
the B-21 will feature Next Generation radar absorbent materials providing stealth capabilities
to the aircraft its high processing power will allow it to quickly process information from
on-board sensors and external sources to detect threats it will have minimum aircraft signatures
for a lower probability of interception in multiple frequency bands the advanced capabilities
are expected to allow the B-21 bombers to penetrate current and future adverse defenses
contractors involved major subcontractors involved in the B-21 program are Pratt and
Whitney a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies BAE Systems GKN Aerospace geniki Industries
orbital ATK Rockwell Collins part of Collins Aerospace and spirit aerosystems