Shown here is an artist rendering of the B-21. (Image: Northrop Grumman)
Frank Kendall, Secretary of the Air Force, commented on the latest update of the B-21 Raider programme progress that the five aircraft were being manufactured.
Programme executive officer of the B-21 Raider programme, Randall Walden, had previously confirmed that two aircraft were going down the production line in January.
The B-21 Raider is a strategic stealth bomber aircraft being developed by Northrop Grumman to succeed the B-1 and B-2 fleets in USAF service.
The application of new digital tools and processes early in the engineering and manufacturing development phase has been the focus of recently released programme information.
The use of AR, VR and ground and airborne testbeds have been recently cited as enablers of programme progress and risk reduction.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the B-21 is being developed to have both conventional, nuclear capabilities as well as manned and autonomous capabilities.
The B-21 Raider will be a component of a larger family of systems for conventional long-range strike, including ISR, EW, communication and other capabilities.
In 2019, the USAF announced its average unit cost as $639 million.
The DroneShield US subsidiary is rapidly expanding its manufacturing footprint in the country and has expedited the process to double its domestic production capacity in at least four months.
The Pentagon has sent an amendment to the Office of Management and Budget, according to Pete Hegseth, including funds for the procurement of E-7 Wedgetails in FY2027.
As Europe confronts its most unstable security environment since the Cold War, defence planners recognise that advanced, dependable and flexible Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) are central to a force that competes and prevails on today’s battlefield.
The country could be on the cusp of finalising an historic deal with Saab for up to 150 aircraft, with Belgium also increasing its number of donated F-16 aircraft to 53 with refreshed delivery timelines.
The USAF intends to conduct the second phase of the DRAGON programme from FY2026 to FY2030, while the future of the E3 replacement remains unknown.
Indonesia’s purchase of 12 drones with options for an additional 48 is the third deal in as many years between Indonesian and Turkish defence industries, bolstering the former’s plans to strengthen its own domestic production and defence industry.
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