How did the B-21 RAIDER already make it into production?
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- The US Air Force and Northrop Grumman have now confirmed that the B-21 Raider has entered low-rate initial production just two months or so after the platform's first test flight. And what may be even crazier... the program appears to be on budget.
Let's talk about what this means for the Raider program, and how we got here.
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Fabulous job by the Grumman team. We obviously don't know exactly how the tests are going, but if DOD has greenlit production, the answer must be "exceptionally well".
Or the DoD thinks they need something that flies now instead of something that does the job later.
@@ObiwanNekodyThis ^
I work in software...and my fear about "computer designed aircraft" is "Garbage In; Garbage Out"
Hopefully NG has an excellent QA team!
@@jimkeats891 Can't be any worse than China's 😂
@@failingup4907 because they stole it?
People also need to realize that airplanes in general are expensive. The current list price of a Boeing 747-8 is just under $500 million each. And 747 is just a plain passenger airliner that people fly on every day. The Airbus A380 costs even more. The fact that Northrup can produce a top-of-the-line stealth bomber for only 50% more than a 747 starting price is amazing.
Factoring in size, it's quite ridiculous. The contractors likely make a massive profit
@@nade5557Don't forget one part of the pricing is the expected production quantity. If the government contracted to buy 3000 of them, or if there was any hope of large scale export, the per unit cost would drop considerably.
Also tooling and other manufacturing set-up for any new parts. Actually making the production lines is a huge factor in budget.
@@Halinspark good points
@@Halinspark Exactly. Tooling/labor costs are going to be a huge factor. Doesn't matter if you build 1 or 10. That tooling cost has to be paid at the start.
@@nade5557 Sure, and that's the cost of low production. R&D to develop the capabilities costs money. More R&D to build it cheaper and faster again costs money. And then tooling costs scale based production rates. The B-2 basically never got beyond LRIP so all 21 built were bespoke and at that bespoke cost thanks to order shrinking from 132 down to 21. I doubt we'd be discussing the B-21 today if the USAF had kept the B-2 order at 132. If the B-21 program was a thing, everything about it would probably still be a state secret.
Meanwhile the F-35 went from about $200m/ea (c. 2007) down to about $100m/ea (c. 2020). They now cost less than half as much after inflation-- literally 20% cheaper per aircraft than Taiwan's next 66 F-16V's ($121m/ea c.2020).
Don't forget the X-47B, the experimental UCAV that was capable of autonomus CATOBAR and mid-air refueling.
With that amount of flying wing experience and the benefit of technology (and lessons) from adjacent programs, it's not too surprising that the B-21 has kept close to its timeline.
Good analysis!
Lol my favorite anecdote about the X47B is they had to make its landing less accurate so it wouldn't wear down the same spot on the flight deck
really? Mind if I ask where ya fiund it so I can read it too lmao
@@davidzheng7568
@@ChangeEvery14Days Likely does, as autopilot landing systems have been around for a while now.
@@ChangeEvery14Days Don't they have them now? An F-35B fell into the sea during it's testing phase because of "software issues" iirc.
Imagine being in a BVR fight not knowing that there is a stealth missile truck in the air.
B21 isnt a missile truck tho? Its an aircraft.
you dont say@@elijahpalmer6323
@@elijahpalmer6323a bomber…
@@elijahpalmer6323I shall not fall for the bait
@@elijahpalmer6323No, it's a ship.
This is going to be a HUGE plus for NG when it comes time to select the Navy's F/A-XX. That said, this program got a huge chance for success the second they locked in subsonic flight performance: had they asked for supercruise and stealth, that could have been tricky, That said...it may already be possible, and hopefully at reasonable cost.
I thought the exact same thing. NG will definitely have teachers pet status when the Navy program is being selected.
Given what f-35 pilots keep saying about avoiding supersonic flight due to the IR signature, I have a suspicion they wouldn't even want to fly supersonic. The f-35 pilots must be able to see the other side on the DAS in exercises when they go supersonic, that's my guess.
Super sonic without vertical stabilizers will be pretty impressive
Pretty much.
I don't see why they are putting so much effort into eliminating vertical stabilizers.
While they do create additional radar returns, they are relatively easy to align to deflect them. They have obviously done a remarkable job in the past on all stealth designs up to this point. The B2 has no vertical stabs, but is also not as stealth as other deigns.
I would think eliminating other items would be of more value: remove control surfaces, their variable yet necessary deflections, and their reflective gaps. This is not impossible. Neither is eliminating the cockpit and canopy. Which substantially improves stealth.
But, I think IR trackers will continue to improve. Seeing how they can photograph universes farther away in light years than the universe is year old says they don't really have a limit to their capability. And we know an AIM-9X can track and kill a balloon. With zero propulsion or friction heat.
@@TheJustinJ Biggest barrier for IR tracking is the effect the atmosphere has on it. Not sure how DAS gets round it but I imagine it's not an all-weather capability
This B-21 has NOT been approved for production. It has been cleared for what is called Low Rate Initial Production, or LRIP. Those initial airframes are "production ready" articles, as close to operational units as can exist right now. They will be used to show the aircraft's flight performance, maintenance planning, and aircrew training will support front line service. Once those have been completed the B-21 will enter Full Rate Production.
Still meaning it’s been given the green light 🟢. Sure it won’t enter service production for sometime but it’s airframe and early testing has proven successful.
So would the SU-57 be considered LRIP?
@@ronray4294no, because "initial" implies that they will actually make more
you do realize that LRIP is _still_ what the F-35 program is in, right? There are now over a thousand of those things existence, but it is technically in LRIP.
Lol these bombers will be active in 2025.
I love that the b21 has two pw135 engines, hopefully there's a lot of manufacturing overlap with f35 parts
From what I have heard about both Block 4 F-35 and the B-21 they seem to share a lot of capabilities even though the planes are manufactured by different companies.
That's interesting, thanks. Probably explains part of why the plane is "cheap".
@@filippopotame3579 Everything I've heard about both programs seems to indicate one of the big design considerations was modularity and upgradability and the use of "off the shelf" parts. I wouldn't be surprised if many subsystems were literally the same between both planes.
@@Big_Red1 so I've read too. Apparently generations will be less and less meaningful and we shall rather see continuous incremental upgrades.
The B21 specs on wiki say it's a subsonic bomber using PW9000 engines.
Lots of lessons learned from past designs and the use of 3D printing seems to have been a huge help.
B-21 could function as a missile boat for the F-35 and NGAD. Very impressive. I hope the air force gets even more of them than 100.
Id be incredibly surprised if we do a full production run. Doesnt seem to happen too often.
also provide passive overwatch for AWACS and tankers, both of which will be important in a Sino-American conflict
@@kyledabearsfan then you haven't seen this program because unless china collapse like the Soviet union then it isn't going anywhere
@@kyledabearsfan You're making your judgement based on the post cold war peace time. The next Cold War is already on and can turn into a hot war at any moment.
The B-21 could fly very high overhead at night loaded with 80 small diameter bombs (each SDB has wings that give it a range of 69 miles) while F-35's fly ahead and use their infrared detectors to identify targets that the B-21 destroys.
The B-21 is so overpowered that it just plowed through development on time and on budget. My god am I glad it is on my team
It's starting to sound like the F111 every day. Hopefully Grumman doesn't screw us over.
@@cherrypepsi2815The ardvark isn't stealth at all... This is a culmination of 50 years of holding the only true stealth aircraft in the world.
@jessegatto7759 when did I ever say it was stealth...?
@@cherrypepsi2815 You are making comparisons on two totally different aircraft made in different eras for different reasons.. you aren't even American with your Chinese letters in front of your name 😂
@jessegatto7759 jesus you don't read, do you? The reason the F111 failed was because it was a shitty parts-bin aircraft made to handle way too much- rushed through production with little thought as to what the aircraft is best fit for, _just like the B21 is, from what we can tell._ Nowhere did I directly compare the capabilities of the aircraft. I'm comparing their production cycles. Read more books.
I'm American. Born here in Ohio to Austrian/Canadian parents. The two letters are Japanese, the username being a nickname given to me by a Japanese exchange student I was friends with while in school. Don't be a fucking twat. You aren't good at having a civil debate when you are.
This is setting the bar for engineering projects everywhere if they can keep this up. Not just aviation. I'd love to look inside the development teams.
I have an original B-2 contractors desk model, commissioned by Northrop in 1989. It was given to all contractors who worked on the project. I have a video showing it.
I got the old Testors 1:72 kit and the Revell ATB kit that came out a year prior. I have a new airbrush to try out on them. There’s a lot of North American company posters and other stuff that pops up at local antique places, as their factory was once just up the road from me.
Just checked out your video. Very cool.
👍I should do a good model of the B-2, to add to my collection! It's winter in Michigan! @@mmmmburgerz9442
👍Prized possession.@@675Films
@@mmmmburgerz9442 Testors makes good paint. Folks should petition Rustoleum for the return of the little square $0.52 or whatever Testors oil based model paints for airbrushing and painting. It is concerning that those were stopped post-takeover. I love that paint.
The B21 is sounding more like a 5 gen spiritual successor of the F111.
Yeah, plus its quick development really makes one question the claim of it being a 6th generation bomber.
Yep ....I hope Australia buys this aircraft because something is happening with the cancellation of the 2nd tranche of F-35A they decided to upgrade Super hornets and Growlers to block 3.
NGAD or B-21 maybe F-35 block beyond a 4 have been rumoured for a mid 2030s acquisition.
Bring back our long range strike that we had with the F-111C and F-111G (FB-111A).
Miss the f111, was a scary beast of a plane and a bomb/missle truck for sure
@@LeonAust They would cost $1 billion Australian dollars each. Our entire defence budget is $38 billion. If we bought 24 x B21s, (an RAAF squadron) we would have no money for any thing else. For Australia it is more sensible to build 20 squadrons of Loyal Wing Man drones called the Ghost Bat, cost about $2.4 billion backed up by our F35 & Fa18 Super Hornets. To fly the Ghost Bat we only require a service personnel of Air Craft Man rank, not highly trained pilots. And having 20 squadrons would give us 480 aircraft carrying anti shipping missiles or Air to air missiles which would be an effective shield against the PLA- Navy or PLA-Air force.
@@davidhewitt9097 We don't need 24, more like six to eight, and it would be vastly cheaper than the SSN deal that the RAN will never be able to fund. It would only happen as an alternative to the subs.
Keep in mind Ghost Bat is going to get a lot dearer once once it gains some real combat capability. As for air to air combat, things like a US$10m radar's are required to deliver on that dream. I am sure it can be done, but not cheaply. They are going to continue to be ISR platforms with limited air to ground capability unless you are willing to jump up to the F-35's price point.
What a time to be an military aviation fans /enthusiasts
Grumman delivered the F-14 Tomcat on time and on budget. So Northrup Grumman might be a good choice for on time on budget.
I love your content. 5 minutes... 100% info... Great delivery.
Perfect!
I used to be a Lockheed fanboy, but after the B-2 came out I switched big time!
The grace of the B-2 is beyond what anyone at Lockheed could have come up with and is so radically different!
When I first saw a B-2 in person, all I could think was that everyone in the country should be allowed to have one! ... just as a benefit of being American! ;-)
God, it is the most beautiful airplane I've ever seen!
To have the B-21 come along, as you said, on time and under budget, really shows how Northrop has come into its own and that Jack Northrop finally got the recognition he always deserved!!!
I'm retired now, but I would have been so proud to work for that company!
Back in the day, I lived in Lancaster, Ca., and I could watch B1's and later on B2's doing touch-and-go's from my from porch. Amazing sight.
@@milsimgamer Oh man! That had to be unreal!
I doubt I would ever get tired of seeing that!!
@@chrislong3938 I guarantee, I didn't. AS soon as I heard them, I ran outside, most often in time to watch.
@@milsimgamer No doubt!
I used to drive by Travis AFB back in the '80s on occasion and would see B-52s taking off.
A sight to behold indeed, not to mention the sound and the smell of JP-4!
@@chrislong3938 Yeah. The very definition of shake your windows and rattle your walls.
*T-14 and SU-57 break down in tears*
And Su-75 that's still haven't enter production.
@@dereenaldoambun9158 forever prototype
The Russians can dream 😂
You have to be built first to be able to break down…
I feel that the RQ-180 connection is spot on, and the fact that there has been at least one image of what appeared to be a 180 working in The Philippines over 2 years ago now proves that NG already can produce this frame.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we find out that the RQ-180 and B-21 are identically proportional to one another, or even if we find them with identical wingspans.
Good Job Northrop Grumman....for setting an Example for the rest of the military-industrial complex. Beautifully done...🇺🇸👍❤️🙏....
Spare me! I used to work for Northrop Grumman and as a company they are one of the world’s worst to work for.
It would not surprise me if they had a small number combat ready. Look at how long we had the f117 before it went public. ❤
They could be doing what was done with the F-35 and start testing and building at the same time. I suspect that most of the guts come from the F-35. That includes the sensors, targeting system and engines. The take off and landing wheels could come from the B-2.
@@orlock20 Nope. The gear is a dead giveaway that it was a twinjet, not a quadjet.
They've got the B2 to get the job done. No need to surge the B21.
Wouldn’t be surprised if we see something like the bs F-19 stealth fighter that people legitimately thought was going to be the F-117 whenever we see the B-21 get replaced I can’t wait for what nonsense stealth bombers that modeling companies think will replace it 😂
what a stupid comment
I love AH’s knowledge and passion.
Superb
Well run program!
Grumman is doing an amazing job as a company. I cant wait to see one of these at an air show. Think ill shed a tear the same way when I saw an A-10
The fact it is on budget and time is scary. Means the military manufacturers have been told to stop the milking of the system and produce. WE NEED THAT HARDWARE VERY SOON.
They(the manufacturer)have been testing this airframe/electronics package for 15+ years.
“If I can talk about its obsolete” - Mr. Kelly Johnson
@@ChangeEvery14Days I’m simply quoting an individual with credibility in the national defense space.
@@ChangeEvery14DaysIt's a quote from one of the most famous aircraft designers of all time.
@@xprettylightsxHe's been dead since 1990... That quote is outdated considering we're still flying F-16, and F-15s
Having the capability to build the technology is different to actually producing and putting that thing into service
R&D works differently. They have probably continuously improved the requirements and designs and worked with defense people to get feedback. Moreover, technologies change. I would not read too much into the 15+ years except that they have been working on thee for 15 years. This is par for the course when it comes to revolutionary tech.
Fun fact: during WW2 the legendary B-17 continued to be upgraded while Boeing endeavored to and successfully found ways to reduce the per/unit cost of each bomber.
I am certain that part of the reason is that the B-21 was developed using Model Based Design which takes a lot of testing out of the real world. For NGC this includes evaluating LO characteristics mathematically which is within NGC's capabilities.
Interesting info about the RQ-180. I'll be very interested to see how much they have in common.
The US Army just chose General Dynamics and Rheinmetall as finalists for the 4000 Bradley replacement IFVs.
Could you do a Firepower series video about this program, the two finalists and the other three that dropped out. Or more generally the current state of IFVs (Bradley, CV90, Puma, Lynx) and their most likely future. Maybe even including anti air IFVs like some CV90 variants and SkyRanger.
Very prompt and informative as always Alex. I really appreciate your channel and professionalism. Thank you for your hard work.
As a suggestion, would you consider creating a piece on the Super Hornet, especially why it was created to look similar to the original Hornet? I'd love to see you delve into the acquisition process a bit more.
I am so excited for this aircraft. Absolutely amazing job NG!
Loving the content lately! Always a great informative watch. 👍🇬🇧
I’ve been involved in the US aerospace industry since the 80s. “On time and on budget” are rarely ever used together. Congratulations to the Northrop Grumman team for this accomplishment.
As stated above, it’s most likely this program is much older than they lead you to believe. New design technologies and techniques, and rapid prototyping helps speed it up. Someone said there’s probably several operational units already, similar to the F-117 and that sounds very likely. Exciting time to be an aviation enthusiast
Or most likely, they're fast with the B-21 because Northrop is currently the company with the most experience making operational flying wing aircraft, and so applied everything they've learned throughout the decades into a design whose technological advances are mostly internal instead of external. Compare to say Lockheed Martin where the F-35 is a supersonic stealth fighter-bomber with a VTOL variant, which however you look at it is nuts in terms of technological complexity, and it's not like they can make anything less because that's what the US and other allied nations wanted.
Just a shout out of your presentation style and voice. Been doing it for 20 years, and you are really out there with the best!
Reason it came in on time and on budget #1 Lot of experience gained from B-2 rq 180 and other programs
#2 US getting more serious with the Chinese threat.
Didn’t the B-2 cost 2 billion a piece, so if b-21 ends up costing 690 million a piece that would be impressive!
that was the whole point i believe
The B-2 only cost over a billion because the program was cancelled at 21 production aircraft; and like the F-22 the entire development cost was split over a far lower number of airframes than intended. If it had had a fill production run the cost per aircraft would have been lower.
Makes you wonder if the F-35 research and development phase was financial cover for a whole family of stealth aircraft.
Ssshhh...
I doubt it was a cover given the international investment, but research is research and experience is experience. No reason it shouldn’t transfer.
@@saddlepiggyyup great way to put it
The only way N-G was able to keep on schedule and on budget was by using known technologies in the design and construction of the plane. The Air Force somehow resisted the temptation to require newly invented technology in order to meet B-21 operational requirements. Working with an incredibly advanced contractor helped immensely but there clearly was some disciplined planning going on. The Navy should pay attention to how this works.
This is my take, too. Lots of computer modeling and design iteration + experience with similar designs + NOT trying to use tomorrow's cutting edge technology still-in-development. I assume that the trend toward built-in upgradeability makes govts. and companies more comfortable using today's bleeding edge tech rather than trying to include things still in development.
Since Northrop did so well with this program, I'm curious to see what they do with the FA-XX.
Sometimes, late night, my butthole hurt , but it’s okay. Wait , what were we talking about ? Oh yeah it’s probably going to be a dangerous program especially in the pacific theather
Honestly, after the stumbles with the F-35, it’s refreshing to see a program go right!
the B/SR/F/A-21 Raider
Because the digital design, modelling, prototyping, and validation system they are using is an incredible leap ahead in technology. It's got MILLIONS of hours of R&D and testing, in the digital domain, so it's an incredibly well proven design even though it has only a few hours of real world flight time. The maturity of the digital simulation and modelling tools is impressive.
You're right i have never heard of Northrop Grumman RQ-180.
i'd like to hear your thoughts on how the B21 can be effective (or not) as an air to air asset, in a future video!
It will use its stealth to do beyond visual range shots to take out fighter jets. There is no other way, because this B21 has no chance to win a conventional dogfight against any fighter jet in use, even cold war Soviet jets could vastly outmaneuver this thing. What they won't be able to do is get a lock on it from any significant distance. The B21 will be able to pick them off long before they can see it.
@@actionjksn yes, of course, BVR. I’m more interested in the tactics. I should have specified
@@Eddie_Munster My guess would be that F-35s would get in closer and relay the targeting information to the B-21s. The B-21s would fire their volley of missiles and then the fighters would mop up the rest. I remember a proposal from around 20 years ago with a similar premise but using the B-1 as the missile carrier.
This aircraft will never engage in an air to air conflict and it's not going to carry air to air weapons for defense. Its job is to approach by stealth and drop bombs on target.
@@axmajpayne that’s what I would guess as well. But with all the new tech & abilities, I wonder if there would be new strategies
America is so used to cost overruns and delays (F-35) that they don't know what to do when an actual program is on schedule and on budget.
NIce, I can't wait to fly it in DCS!!!!
It’s so refreshing to hear a reporter who understands inflation. 👏
Great accurate military information, my number 1 go to site, keep up the great work.
in a word it might be new but northrop worked out the bugs on making flying wing aircraft already and spent many years doing so, from the days they first got the idea and tried 1940's era, to the b2 spirit, as mentioned in the video, but we also have prototyping and computer modeling that we didn't have even in the late 90's
Saving on NRE is a great tactic, tho one the US air-vehicle production companies are not too familiar with (at least, not on this scale).
Engines, rotary launchers, the initial IR targeting Hwr/Swr ... that's a lot of development and tooling that doesn't have to be paid for.
"Its on schedule, we have working models, and its cheaper than we thought it was gonna be."
"Nice job, Northrop. How did you manage that?"
"Compooter."
I Would like to see a video about how Small FPV drones effect modern warfare, and what the U.S has to counter them.
Sure wish the Navy could learn from this program
Obviously, it shares MANY technologies and mechanical availability with other tested platforms.
I think this needs to set a precedent for the US military has a whole.
US procurement programs might as well be synonymous with ‘delays’ and ‘over budget’ these days. Those are always the first two things I think of when I hear about one lol.
Seems to me like Northrop approached the USAF a dozen years ago saying "we designed a new stealth bomber you might want to take a look at" and were lucky enough keeping the whole thing under wraps while the initial demonstrator and a couple prototypes were built in the past decade. Thus they're ready to go for production, just hoping to iron out the last few kinks.
“Somehow the B-21 has gotten cheaper over time” 🤯
1:22 I've been saying it, partly out of jest! What if the B-21 is actually ngad? It *almost* fits! Being able to carry dozens and dozens of JATMs or even sidewinders, it'd be pretty deadly! Given the aim-9x can shoot at targets behind the launch aircraft, if there's a secret DAS or rear radar, who even needs to maneuver? Hell, carry enough missiles on board and the b-21 could just shoot down any air to air missiles launched at it 🤣
NGAD is guaranteed to be pretty much the same as the F22 in terms of capability, with the systems of the F35. They still need something that can hold up in BVR and do even better in the merge.
As for missiles, if a plane is within Fox-2 range like you said, the B21 is already dead. This thing should never have the chance to use an AIM-9.
As for the fox-3s, that might be pretty useful, especially with the new AIM-120D3s and the upcoming AIM-260. Being able to datalink-track and fire upon a target without going radar-hot like with the 120D is already great enough.
Excellent write up, thank you! and agree, it's a win for any DOD Program to be on time, much less on budget these days. I wonder if current global tensions had a place in the conversation of announcing production readiness. Any idea on the lag between initial production and platform acceptance?
Of course it did
As much as I love the Bone, the Spirit, & Stratofortresses, I’m so excited for the Raider!!!
Nice, you guys have turned me into a total aviation fanboy, and this has to be about the biggest news of the year!
Bro, love your reporting. The way you deliver information is impeccable. I love your channel, keep up the good work!
From South Africa ;)
The B-21 is what the B-2 would have been if we'd known how it was going to be used.
The B-2 was designed to fly hundreds of miles into the Soviet Union and carpet bomb the runways while the F-117 took out the anti-air systems
Well, we don't carpet bomb anymore.
So the B-2 has a bomb bay that's actually too big, this reduces the stealth and range of the plane.
The B-2 isn't flying hundreds of miles on a mission , it's flying thousands of miles on missions that last up to 30 hours, this requires that a relief pilot sleep behind the ejection seats...and even if he survives the ejection seats firing off on either side of him ,he has no way of ejecting.
( So if the pilots eject they do so knowing they just killed the relief pilot.)
So the B-21 has a smaller bomb bay to extend it's range and stealth.
It is capable of autonomous flight so the flight crew can sleep during the "boring parts" of the mission so there's no need for a relief pilot.
It has a much more durable RAM coating.
And just for fun they crammed in a bunch of new electronic warfare capabilities.
Oh, did I mention that it has stealth aerial refueling drones that follow it around?
One of the weaknesses of the B-2 is that it's easy to track the KC-135s that refuel it multiple times on a mission.
The stealth drones can refuel the B-21, then head off to another tanker to be topped off and then fly back to the B-21 as it's returning from its mission to refuel it again , without giving away its location.
You can tell Gen X played a lot of video games as kids.
Good job, Alex!
I'm wondering if after the B-21 goes into service, if some of the existing B-2's could be converted into a Stealth Aerial Tanker. I know the Air Force is already looking into building a brand new plane, but it could perhaps be faster to build it into the existing B-2's. Just a thought.
Thanks Alex🇺🇸
I hope the give the B-21 air-to-air capabilities. If they can defend themselves they can penetrate much deeper.
A video about the X65 and active flow control would be cool.
Wishing you a Happy Healthy and Safe 2024,
🤗🏆💙🙏
Let's just hope all the panels are bolted in really good
Strategic. Air. Command!!!
Somebody at Northrop Grumman looked at the YF-23 getting passed over and said, "nope, not again."
Always like hearing good news, Thanks again
Rushing them out for the Big Party in the Pacific?
Thanks!
It was over budget. And northroups' answer to that was to get rid of and not give raises to their experienced techs.
The real hero here is all this computer aided design. Ignoring how fast the design process has been, if all of the computer testing prevents even a single B21 test bird from crashing, it's easily covered the cost of the simulated testing.
Edit: as I understand it, the NGAD program is moving at a similar breakneck pace thanks to computer design. I personally welcome our new AI overlords
Timing is everything. Literally an article just popped up about NG losing 1.5 billion on the B21.
Here are some actual inflation calculation results. $550M in 2010 becomes $644.84M in 2019 and $738.16M in 2022. So NG's $639M in 2019 is basically at inflation, but their $692M in 2022 is definitely below inflation. I'm no economist, but I do know that inflation doesn't affect all goods and services equally. Perhaps a somewhat niche product like a stealth bomber was one of the things that was less affected by the higher than normal rate of inflation over the last few years.
This is such an awesome channel. Keep up the good work!
To add to what Alex said here, the reason why B-21 is on-time and on-budget is that all seminal research of technologies has already been done in prior aircraft most notably B-2. It’s no accident that B-21 is like a “mini-B2”. Not much revolutionary tech but rather incremental/evolutionary tech introduced. In other words this isn’t like the USS Gerald Ford carrier where soo much new technology have been introduced.
Aside from leveraging new “testing technologies” it also leveraged new manufacturing technologies metal 3D technology.
Plus the US military has become wiser in estimating costs having been subjected to soo much grilling HASC and SASC in the early 2000’s with proper identification of risk with only inflation and politics being the “wild card”.
I would speculate that the B-21 is capable of acting as an AWACS. I also speculate that it isn't a bomber in the traditional sense. Surely it can drop a large payload of bombs; but I have reason to believe that it's primary role will be firing cruise missiles and other long range air-to-ground missiles.
The b52 has been doing that recently too IIRC? I definitely remember seeing pics of a b52 with cruise missiles on wing pylons.
@@Big_Red1 Absolutely. The B-52 can carry up to 20 JASSM or JASSM-ER. They are absolutely massive stealth cruise missiles with immense range and one hell of a payload.
It I had to guess, the B-21 can carry the same missiles (probably a few less however) and a wider variety of other missiles also.
This bomber actually scares me. My heart stops just thinking about the b21s capabilities
Advancements in digitally assisted design and simulation technologies - that's what I think has propelled this programme forward so rapidly.
We need the B-21 yesterday. I wish Congress would consider allocating the funds necessary to really accelerate its development and production. With enough money, perhaps Northrop and its partners could expand or duplicate their facilities, hire many more workers, and offer them enough OT pay or bonus to incentivize constant work at a brisk pace on the B-21 for twenty-four hours a day seven days a week until we have enough B-21s to deal with China.
Ny best guess is that before the first flight the computer simulations included full simulaters of not only construction but also the flight behaviour. it also has all the information from the B-2 and thus could use flying data etc. I am only unhappy the RAAF did not agree to purchase 20 of them.
I wonder if it's just a very competent development program, or if the US military is just happy to overlook a few issues in order to expedite the program.
I'd make comparison to the Spitfire during the lead-up and initial years of WW2. It had performance troubles, production stalls, was over budget, but since the British were rapidly re-arming they were able to overlook a few things. An issue like "engine turns off while entering steep dive" would be scandalous during peacetime, but when preparing for war it seems that 'deadly flaw' was suddenly just a 'minor inconvenience'.
It just snuck under the rader and we forgot about it
They had to fast track the B21 because in 2016 they found out that the larger B2 just wasn't maneuverable enough to dodge focused radioactive purple beams.
The load out of this beast is scary.
*The raider has Rear Looking Radar and 2 of the AIR TO AIR Missiles are mounted to fire backwards!*
This happens way more often than people think, it's just not interesting when it does so no one remembers. It helps the B-21 that it's not really pushing the envelope as much as most recent new platforms.
This is what makes paying taxes OK. These fun videos, and being able to see the awesome aircraft they come up with.
Imagine getting intercepted by a B-21. Granted, with what we know about some hostile forces, the B-21 could probably dumb bomb its way into being an ace Bakke-style
Fantastic! I hope all future projects go through thorough computer testing to fast track too.
Hell YES 🙌. “GET SOME “. Said the 60 gunner in FMJ
In order to get a complete picture of what the B21 can do, they must be build to production spec. On the B2, this was done on AV3 thru AV6
all of Northrop's RD was well established with the B2. The raider is not a far cry from that design.