Nye fly

 

Second to none

BY ADAM THORN

 

In September, the US Air Force has quietly confirmed the arrival of a second B-21 Raider at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The sixth-generation aircraft, essentially a prototype, touched down after flying from Plant 42, the super secretive manufacturing facility where it was built. Unveiled three years ago, the B-21 Raider is the “sequel” to the UFO-like B-2 Spirit, designed to strike silently deep behind enemy lines with its 9,500-kilometre range and advanced stealth capabilities.

The US unveils its latest nuclear-capable B-21 Raider in California.

“With the arrival of the second B-21 Raider, our flight test campaign gains substantial momentum,” Secretary of the US Air Force Troy Meink says.

That “momentum” equates to far more than just having a slightly newer model to tinker with. Having a second enables testing to progress beyond basic flight-performance checks into mission-systems and weapons-integration phases. It also allows maintenance engineers on the ground to practice running simultaneous sustainment operations, validating their tools and processes.

“By having more assets in the test environment, we bring this capability to our warfighters faster, demonstrating the urgency with which we’re tackling modernisation,” says the Air Force’s Chief of Staff, General David Allvin.

Both Northrop Grumman aircraft are assigned to the 420th Flight Test Squadron, a recently reactivated squadron established solely to oversee the testing of the B-21. Edwards Air Force Base, meanwhile, also underwent a major expansion in the late 2010s to support Raider operations. At the time of writing, four more are being built at Plant 42, with another two non-flying airframes on the ground.

The secretive nature of the Raider itself means hard information on its capability is limited. However, images released by the US Air Force itself reveal that the first aircraft – nicknamed Cerberus – features a three-headed dog emblem and a bird silhouette echoing Northrop’s heritage logos, while other photos reveal its conformal, low-observable inlets. These inlets are among its best innovations, allowing it to separate turbulent boundary layer air while still drawing in enough air overall to prevent engine starvation.

If all goes to plan, the US will eventually purchase at least 100 B-21s, a number that dwarfs the 21 airframes of its predecessor, with operational fielding due to begin by the end of the decade. Once deployed, they will be the most feared nuclear bombers in the world – and the jewel in the crown of the US Air Force.