The upcoming B-21 Raider stealth bomber may find yourself having a bigger function within the Air Pressure’s plans for future air dominance, because the service rethinks its plans for a complicated sixth-generation fighter.
“We’ve got not taken that off the desk,” Air Pressure Chief of Employees Gen. David Allvin mentioned on the Army Reporters and Editors convention Friday when requested if the service’s overview of its superiority method may result in a extra outstanding place for the Northrop Grumman-made B-21.
The Air Pressure has for years been engaged on an idea referred to as Subsequent Era Air Dominance — a household of programs that would come with a sixth-generation fighter to exchange the F-22 Raptor and autonomous drone wingmen — and initially anticipated to award a contract for it in 2024.
This summer time, the Air Pressure put NGAD on maintain over its steep anticipated price ticket. NGAD, as initially envisioned, may price 3 times as a lot as an F-35, or maybe as much as $300 million apiece, mentioned Air Pressure Secretary Frank Kendall.
The Air Pressure then started a revamp of its NGAD design and future air superiority idea to determine a option to extra affordably counter a serious adversary comparable to China.
However whereas the Air Pressure is open to a extra B-21-centric air dominance plan, the service isn’t about to make any modifications to its acquisition plans for the stealth bomber. Allvin mentioned the Air Pressure is, for now at the least, sticking to its plan to purchase at the least 100 B-21s.
Northrop Grumman has touted the B-21 as the primary sixth-generation plane, pointing to its superior stealth and data-sharing capabilities and use of open programs structure. The primary B-21 started flight testing in November 2023 at Edwards Air Pressure Base in California and has continued since then.
Because the B-21′s testing routine progresses, Allvin hopes the Air Pressure will higher perceive what the bomber is able to and acquire extra confidence in its talents.
Allvin praised the way in which the B-21 program has been run to this point, which may assist the Air Pressure determine what number of bombers it will likely be in a position to purchase.
“The same old worth ballooning, we haven’t seen, and there’s purpose to consider that won’t happen,” Allvin mentioned.
Northrop Grumman expects to obtain its subsequent low-rate manufacturing contract for the B-21 by the tip of the yr, chief govt Kathy Warden mentioned in an Oct. 24 earnings name.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Protection Information. He beforehand lined management and personnel points at Air Pressure Instances, and the Pentagon, particular operations and air warfare at Army.com. He has traveled to the Center East to cowl U.S. Air Pressure operations.
