Northrop Grumman notes $477 million loss as it manages higher B-21 programme costs
The B-21 Raider stealth bomber programme is expected to launch in the late-2020s. (Photo: USAF / Giancarlo Casem, 412th Test Wing )
In its Q1 earnings call, the company disclosed a US$477 million pretax loss related to the programme as it works to scale up.
Northrop Grumman posted a mixed set of Q1 results, as the company sought to manage higher production and manufacturing costs on its B-21 Raider programme, despite achieving a new record backlog of US$92.8 billion.
The $477 million pretax loss, the company said, was the result of a change to enable higher production rates and cover the increase in material costs for the B-21 programme, reducing risk as it scales up.
The decision to make this process change and thus incur the loss, the company added, was made jointly with the USAF.
Commenting on the Q1 results, Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy J
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