Six B-21 Raider Stealth Bombers in Final Assembly: Northrop Grumman

Ahead of the unveiling of the B-21 sixth generation stealth bombers on November 2, Northrop Grumman has revealed that six B-21 Raider aircraft are in various stages of final assembly and test at Northrop Grumman’s plant in Palmdale, California.

The company has highlighted several stand-out features of the B-21:

No Block Upgrades. The B-21 has been designed for rapid upgradeability. Unlike earlier generation aircraft, the B-21 will not undergo block upgrades. New technology, capabilities and weapons will be seamlessly incorporated through agile software upgrades and built-in hardware flexibility. This will ensure the B-21 Raider can continuously meet the evolving threat head on for decades to come.

Sixth Generation. Developed with the next generation of stealth technology, the B-21 is optimized for the high-end threat environment.

Stealth. Northrop Grumman has employed new manufacturing techniques and materials to ensure the B-21 will defeat the anti-access, area-denial systems it will face.

Backbone of the Fleet. Capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear payloads, the B-21 will be one of the most effective aircraft in the sky, with the ability to use a broad mix of stand-off and direct attack munitions.

A Digital Bomber. The B-21 is a digital bomber. Northrop Grumman uses agile software development, advanced manufacturing techniques and digital engineering tools to help mitigate production risk on the B-21 program. Six B-21 Raiders are in various stages of final assembly and test at Northrop Grumman’s plant in Palmdale, California.

Cloud Technology. Northrop Grumman and the Air Force successfully demonstrated the migration of B-21 ground systems data to a cloud environment. This demonstration included the development, deployment and test of B-21 data, including the B-21 digital twin, that will support B-21 operations and sustainment. This robust cloud-based digital infrastructure will result in a more maintainable and sustainable aircraft with lower-cost infrastructure.

Multi-role. In addition to its advanced long-range precision strike capabilities that will afford Combatant Commanders the ability to hold any target, anywhere in the world at risk, it has also been designed as the lead component of a larger family of systems that will deliver intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic attack and multi-domain networking capabilities.