B-21 Raider: Next step, First flight!

a reply to: Blackfinger

there will be 6 in the first batch. either one is done or they are holding back for just the final adjustments, I'd guess.

a reply to: Ghoul

im still thinking China


why would it go to the north and why would it be at 20K feet at 200 knots


maybe there were some Chinese people watching so the US could show off a bit but i doubt that extremely



that being said i could be 100% wrong but the wings look to skinny and bowed




Zap: is this still a 2 man bird? i would think it would have to be if it is nuclear capable. And its amazing they would arm something that can be a drone with nukes

a reply to: penroc3

Zap: is this still a 2 man bird? i would think it would have to be if it is nuclear capable. And its amazing they would arm something that can be a drone with nukes

F-35 can carry nukes. F-16s can carry nukes, too. Neither are two man birds.

a reply to: anzha

I'm not sure how that works on a single seater

I am SUPER familiar with PAL interlocks but if you were the froggy type you could create a situation where it seemed like you had to ditch in the sea but there were already a boat and divers in the water wanting for the nuke to drop.

I'm not sure if it is SOP to ditch a weapon in the ocean if your going to crash but seems like a good place to do so


America has had an alarming number of broken arrow incidents and some cores are still missing as well as the bomb.


back in the day with operation CHROME DOME they would fly b52's in a big circle near the artic circle incase of a Russian attack, they would keep the bomb on the rack and the core in something called a birdcage.

at least one core is missing somewhere on a mountain in Canada and Greenland.

not to mention the megaton range H-bomb that was jettisoned before a cash they got 2 but never found the other core, they did hover find the EMPTY bird cage.


the hard part about making a nuke is the nuclear material
.
after you have that and with the open white papers that is all over the US in libraries and collage libraries you could easily make a bomb with a 'lost core' and if you recovered the comb casing it would be even easier as it would have all the ultra fast switches for the conventional explosives.

imagine what Russia and whoever else have 'misplaced'

a reply to: anzha

also I was talking more about the fact it CAN be flown like a drone and no matter what people say if there is a transmitter and receiver that don't share a physical connection there is a way to intercept said communications, kind of like the 170 that was GPS spoofed and made to land/crash in Iran

a reply to: anzha
Systems checks,gear swings,compass swing then ground taxi testing will be next steps then first flight..Just need figure out whet step its up to..

www.thedrive.com...

from the NG instagram.

i.imgur.com...

www.instagram.com...

Just caught this as well on my main feed from the drive too...

B21

Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Andrew Hunter has disclosed that one of the Pentagon's most ambitious and critical projects in years, the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, will be rolled out before the end of the year. Northrop Grumman has now confirmed that this is the case and says this will be an invitation-only event at its facility at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.

edit on 21-9-2022 by Kurokage because: (no reason given)

a reply to: drwire
Well that ties up that thread..

Get ready and in time for xmas.

Official unveiling will be on December 2nd

twitter.com... 71HdP373-to

a reply to: Ghoul

Santa can replace his aging slay and let the raindeers rest this year.

originally posted by: Ghoul
Official unveiling will be on December 2nd

twitter.com... 71HdP373-to

The question is whether the B-21 Raider rollout ceremony will be as strict as that of the B-2 Spirit because when the B-2 was rolled out in November 1988, US Air Force guards escorted by German Shepherd dogs wouldn't allow people attending the B-2 rollout to look behind the aircraft due to the jet exhausts containing technically classified features.

Assuming that tentative B-21 procurement plans hold, the USAF could decide to retire from service four or five B-52Hs to save extra money for funding B-21 production. Since hypersonic missiles are intended to be the newest addition to the portfolio of offensive weapons of the B-52H and the B-2 has the capability to carry the AGM-158 JASSM, it is unclear whether the B-21 will be certified to carry the AGM-158 alongside conventional and nuclear weapons.

a reply to: Potlatch

They’re only allowing guests to see very specific angles of the aircraft.

a reply to: Zaphod58

And this is why I am sure the lawnchair brigade will be strewn between the plant and the testing grounds the entire potential time of flights...

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Potlatch

They’re only allowing guests to see very specific angles of the aircraft.

Zaph, you must be getting an invite to the roll out as ATS' roving reporter!!

The Northrop Grumman link…..(if wasn’t previously posted)

B-21 RAIDER

The Doolittle Raider 😉👍🏼



👽

Northrop will have a B-2, MQ-4, F-35, and F-18, as well as a B-25 at the unveiling, as part of the list of aircraft they work on.

a reply to: Zaphod58

My better half is a software senior manager at NGC…..

She can’t make it to the unveiling ☹️

It ought to be a great event 🙂

👽