Kacey Roberts
A team comprising Northrop Grumman and personnel from the U.S. Air Force has completed a series of tests for the B-21 Raider strategic bomber.
Northrop said Wednesday that test pilots reported the first test vehicle is performing well in flight, closely matching training simulators.
The company also confirmed B-21’s structural integrity through static testing and begun fatigue testing on another ground test article to simulate long-term flight conditions.
Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president at Northrop’s aeronautics systems business, said, “The CTF team has demonstrated we can execute multiple flight test events within the span of a week. Northrop Grumman’s digital ecosystem is enabling that progress, allowing us to analyze test data, make updates and return to flight test with speed and efficiency.”
Northrop is now scaling production, with the B-21 team using advanced manufacturing and digital tools. Jones noted, “We are expanding the use of augmented reality tools and advanced robotics to drive efficiency and accuracy with repeatable, precision processes.”
