B-21 won’t fly until next year

PALMDALE — The B-21 stealth bomber, under development in Palmdale by Northrop Grumman, may make its first public appearance in the coming months, but is not expected to make its first flight until next year, according to published reports.

The shift to 2023 for the next generation bomber’s maiden flight is a delay of at least six months from the Air Force’s previous estimates, Air Force Magazine reported.

The first bomber, one of six under production in Palmdale, is largely assembled at this point, Air Force officials said in March.

An official roll-out of the bomber is likely later this year, as it needs to be moved from inside the hangar to the flight line and taxiways of Air Force Plant 42 for ground and taxi tests.

It becomes significantly more difficult to hide the classified bomber from prying eyes once that occurs.

Load testing on the first aircraft is progressing and matching computer predictions, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office Director Randall Walden said in the magazine report.

The first flight will likely be to Edwards Air Force Base, where testing of the new bomber will be conducted.

The Air Force awarded the classified bomber contract to Northrop Grumman, in October 2015, and confirmed

that manufacturing would take place there, in 2019. The site is where the B-21’s predecessor and near look-alike, the B-2 stealth bomber, was built.

A fact sheet on the B-21 states that the bomber will be part of a larger family of systems, to include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; electronic warfare, communications and other capabilities. The specific components of this family of systems is not specified.

It is intended to carry nuclear and conventional weapons and may fly with or without a pilot in the cockpit.

The bombers are scheduled to become operational in the mid-2020s, according to the fact sheet.

They will initially be based at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, where a training unit will also be housed.

Additional bombers are expected to be based at Whiteman AFB in Missouri and Dyess AFB in Texas.

Whiteman AFB is the current home of the B-2 fleet.