B-21 Bomber Looking good for 2023 Flight Test Schedule

Northrop Grumman’s 2nd Quarter earnings call had an intriguing tidbit for next-gen bomber enthusiasts, with CEO Kathy Warden offering a few juicy tidbits about the current state of the company as a nice side dish.

Of note, the B-21 Raider has been successfully powered up for ground testing, with reports optimistic enough to expect the program to hold to its previous developmental timeline. As such, Northrop could end up seeing the first B-21 ground tests before the end of the year. Looking ahead, CEO Warden expects the B-21 program to be awarded with a contract to begin Low Rate Initial Production. The show of confidence would be a healthy ‘win’ for the Raider, and maybe go a ways towards returning the industry back to a world of kept timelines (and maybe even under budget, in a similar line of fantasy).

Also of note was Warden’s admission that Northrop Grumman would not be bidding as a prime contractor for the Air Force’s Next Gen Air Dominance fighter program. She said that the company would be assisting other prime bidders as a supplier, at least. Northrop Grumman doesn’t seem to feel all that inclined to tackle a large, decades-long fighter program at this time, with Warden saying “we have a strong backlog in that sector, and we have other opportunities in military aircraft that we are pursuing.”

FMI: www.northropgrumman.com