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The Pentagon formally approved the B-21 Raider program to begin production. The Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante confirmed on Monday that the stealth bomber has been approved for low-rate production after its successful ground and flight testing in the fall.
The B-21 Raider, the first new American bomber in over 30 years, was built by Northrop Grumman and was officially unveiled in late 2022. This sixth-generation aircraft is a long-range attack aircraft and can reach any long distance on Earth to infiltrate advanced integrated air defenses. This is the first Air Force combat aircraft since 2016 and the fourth new manned combat aircraft in 32 years. Existing U.S. bombers are more than 60 years old on average. With the B-21, the USAF and Department of Defense can modernize the U.S. bomber force. Breaking Defense reported that the B-21 will be replacing the B-2 Spirit and B-1 Lancer,RELATED STORY:Watch the B-21 unveiling live, the first bomber in 30 years
"Production of the B-21 ‘Raider' stealth bomber is moving forward," LaPlante said in a statement, according to Breaking Defense. "This past fall, based on the results of ground and flight tests and the team's mature plans for manufacturing, I gave the go-ahead to begin producing B-21s at a low rate."
The B-21 took its first flight on Nov. 10, 2023 and at least one other flight has followed. Defense and Security Monitor reported that the initial contract was likely signed in 2023, but the Pentagon has not confirmed the exact date. According to Defense News, LaPlante also said the B-21 team's plans for manufacturing and timely progress contributed to the decision to move forward with production.
"One of the key attributes of this program has been designing for production from the start — and at scale — to provide a credible deterrent to adversaries," LaPlante said, according to Defense News. "If you don't produce and field to warfighters at scale, the capability doesn't really matter."
The B-21 Raider has an open architecture inside, allowing for rapid upgradability from the inclusion of new weapons to software upgrades. Northrop Grumman said the stealth bomber has advanced networking capabilities and successful cloud environment mitigation, allowing it to keep up with evolving threats in the future. The B-21 Raider program has transformed the acquisition process, built through a partnership between Northrop Grumman and the Air Force with a focus on long-term shared success. Northrop Grumman was awarded the contract in 2015 and built a team nationwide, utilizing over 8,000 personnel and over 400 suppliers across 40 states.
"As shared by the U.S. Air Force, the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider has entered low-rate initial production," Northrop Grumman said in a statement to Breaking Defense. "Our team received the contract award after B-21 entered flight testing within the program baseline schedule. Our production representative test aircraft indicated readiness for production, achieving all flight performance and data requirements."
The new, modern bomber will bolster capabilities through the advanced integration of data, sensors and weapons. The stealth bomber can deliver conventional and nuclear payloads and will be one of the most effective aircraft in the sky, able to utilize a range of stand-off and direct attack munitions. While serving as an example of the modernization of U.S. stealth bombers, the B-21 Raider pays homage to the past. The B-21 is named in honor of the Doolittle Raid in WWII, where 80 airmen, led by Lt. Col. James "Jimmy" Doolittle, and 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers led a mission that changed the course of the war.
Northrop Grumman is planning to report its 2023 year-end earnings on Thursday and additional details could be released.