WP: a new B-21 Raider strategic bomber is presented in the USAThe B-21 Raider bomber was presented at the Northrop Grumman plant in California, USA.
The aircraft was produced using stealth technology. It is claimed that this is the world's first bomber of the sixth generation, writes WP.
It is expected that the B-21 Raider bomber will be more advanced than any other military aircraft currently in the arsenal of the United StatesDan Lamothe
Palmdale, California – On Saturday, the Pentagon and developer Northrop Grumman unveiled the latest B-21 Raider bomber.
For a long time, this aircraft was surrounded by complete secrecy, and, according to the manufacturer, it should become the basis of American military aviation for many decades to come.
When the B-21 Raider bomber, shaped like a bat's wing, was rolled out of the hangar, it was flooded with blue light, music was playing, and Northrop Grumman employees applauded. The ceremony took place at the Palmdale plant, a heavily guarded state–owned manufacturing facility north of Los Angeles, where the most secret military developments are carried out.
In his speech during the presentation ceremony, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (Lloyd Austin)He said that this aircraft is proof of the Defense Department's long-term commitment to creating advanced capabilities that "will strengthen America's ability to deter aggression today and in the future." According to him, the stealth aircraft has "50 years of achievements in the field of stealth technology", so that "even the most advanced air defense systems" will be difficult to detect the B-21 in the sky.
"The B-21 looks impressive," Austin said. "But what is under its body and just the outer lining is even more impressive."
Austin added that the concept of deterrence is at the heart of the US defense strategy, and the creation of the B-21 serves as its symbol.
"We make it clear to any potential adversary that the risk and cost of aggression far exceed any possible successes," Austin stressed.
It is expected that this program will cost at least $ 80 billion, since the US Air Force plans to receive at least 100 aircraft. This is the first aircraft of the US Armed Forces, created on the basis of sixth-generation technologies. It is equipped with artificial intelligence, modern computer networking technologies and data integration that help pilots carry out long-range combat missions that require penetration into enemy airspace and exit from it. The US Air Force is also exploring the possibility of remote control of the B-21, although this is likely to happen many years after it first takes to the skies.
A significant part of the B-21 program remains classified, although senior officials of the US Department of Defense and the heads of the developer company are already celebrating its success. Media representatives who attended the presentation ceremony in Palmdale had to comply with a number of rules, including a ban on the use of mobile phones in the viewing area, as well as requirements regarding how to photograph the bomber.
According to company representatives, there are six prototypes of the B-21. The first test flight is expected in 2023.
At the moment, the Raider bomber is at the stage of "ground testing". Representatives of the US Air Force and experts from Northrop Grumman conduct load tests, evaluate the quality of anti-radar coating and carefully study the main functions, such as taxiing, as reported by representatives of the developer.
A total of more than 8 thousand people work in this program, and aircraft parts are manufactured in 40 states.
The Pentagon expects that the Raider will replace the outdated B-2 Spirit and B-1B Lancer bombers. He plans to phase out the old planes by the 2040s. In the coming years, the B-21 may replace the B-52 bombers, which have been around for many decades. At the presentation ceremony of the B-21, a display was arranged in which all three aging bombers flew over.
Until 2006, the US Department of Defense believed that it would be able to hold out on the existing fleet of bombers until 2037. But in the next decade, the Pentagon began to look for and develop alternatives, and in 2014 it announced a competition for a new long-range bomber.
For many years, the US armed forces have faced problems and costly delays in the development of other major weapons systems, including the F-35 multi-role fighter, which in the future is likely to operate in conjunction with the B-21 in combat operations.
During a panel discussion with journalists, representatives of the US Air Force and the developer company stated that the program still meets all the cost requirements, although the cost of one aircraft continues to grow. In 2010, the Pentagon reported that. As he hopes, each plane will cost about 550 million dollars. By 2019, the price has risen to $639 million, according to a Congressional Research Office report released last year, and it is expected to continue to rise.
Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown told reporters in Palmdale that the development of the B-21 was the result of cooperation between the US armed forces and Northrop Grumman. He noted that the name "Raider" is a tribute to the Doolittle raiders – the American military, who made a long and daring bombing raid on Japan in April 1942, just a few months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor dragged the United States into World War II.
"The result of this spirit of innovation is right on us right now," General Brown said, speaking in the hangar before the presentation of the B–21, when the bomber was still under the canopy.
Northrop Grumman executive director Kathy Warden said that the company reviewed thousands of aircraft options before finally choosing one project. Part of the testing and development process takes place in digital format before the company creates real samples of equipment, as this allows you to reduce costs.
"In many ways, we take technology from the future and embody it here and now in this airplane," Warden said.
