Northrop Grumman, developing a promising American strategic bomber B-21 Raider, postponed the first flight of the aircraft, moving them to 2022 year. Reported by Defense News.
According to the head of the United States Air Force Accelerated Development Department, Rendall Wyden, the decision to postpone the first flight of the B-21 was made jointly by the Air Force and Northrop Grumman. The reason for this was, Firstly, delays in the delivery of spare parts, caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
In this way, originally scheduled for December 2021 of the year, the start of flights of the new American strategist is postponed to the middle 2022 of the year.
The company is currently assembling the first two bomber samples., one of which will go to bench tests, and second – for flight.
The B-21 Raider is being developed for the United States Air Force with 2015 of the year, when Northrop Grumman received a contract to build it. The new bomber was created according to the scheme “flying wing”. Its exact dimensions have not yet been revealed., but it is known, that it will be smaller than American “strategos” AT 2.
The US Air Force emphasized, that starting from the first flight model, the aircraft will receive systems and software for delivering nuclear strikes. However, in the first few years of service, the aircraft will not be certified for the transport and use of strategic weapons..
The United States Air Force Command expects, that the first B-21 Raider bombers will enter service in the mid-2020s. According to available information, it is planned to purchase at least one hundred new aircraft, which should gradually replace the aging strategic bombers B-52 Stratofortress and B-2 Spirit.
used photos:Northrop Grumman
