PALMDALE, Calif. (AFNS) —  

In a tangible display of the nation’s resolve in meeting security threats, the U.S. Air Force, on Dec. 2, publicly unveiled the B-21 Raider, the first new, long-range strike bomber in a generation and an aircraft specifically designed to be the multifunctional backbone of the modernized bomber fleet.

While the B-21 isn’t expected to be operational and introduced into service for several more years, the formal unveiling ceremony hosted by Northrop Grumman Corporation at its production facilities in California is a significant milestone in the Air Force’s effort to modernize combat capabilities. The B-21 is designed to be a more capable and adaptable, state-of-the-art aircraft that will gradually replace aging B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers now in service.

According to design requirements, the B-21 is a long-range, highly survivable stealth bomber capable of delivering a mix of conventional and nuclear munitions. The aircraft will play a major role supporting national security objectives and assuring U.S. allies and partners across the globe.

Senior defense officials note that the National Defense Strategy and other analyses make clear the need for the B-21 and its capabilities.

“The B-21 Raider is the first strategic bomber in more than three decades,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin said during the ceremony. “It is a testament to America’s enduring advantages in ingenuity and innovation. And it’s proof of the Department’s long-term commitment to building advanced capabilities that will fortify America’s ability to deter aggression, today and into the future.”

The B-21, Austin said, “is deterrence the American way. … This isn’t just another airplane. It’s not just another acquisition. … It’s the embodiment of America’s determination to defend the republic that we all love. It’s a testament to our strategy of deterrence—with the capabilities to back it up, every time and everywhere.”

The world and its threats have changed dramatically since the last new bomber was introduced in 1988, as has the way the Air Force, other U.S. military services and allies work together as a joint, multi-domain force. Senior defense officials say that new thinking and innovation are needed to meet the new and emerging threats.

“That innovative spirit is sitting behind us right now,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., told reporters shortly before the plane was unveiled.

“You think about what we’re able to do in the amount of time with the workforce here from Northrop Grumman, the collaboration with the United States Air Force to bring in a capability using a digital approach which is new and different from anything we’ve done any major program, that’s part of the Raider spirit,” he said.

The B-21 is the first new bomber to be introduced since the end of the Cold War. Air Force officials envision an ultimate fleet of at least 100 aircraft with an average procurement unit cost requirement of $692 million (base year 2022 dollars).

“When I think about accelerate change, this is exactly what it means to be able to bring this kind of capability very quickly and be able to adapt it vis-à-vis the threat,” Brown said in his meeting with reporters. “And so today, I’m really excited that we bring the B-21 Raider into the future. It’ll be the backbone of our bomber fleet.”

The aircraft is designed with updated stealth qualities and mission flexibility that senior leaders in the Air Force and across the Department of Defense say are necessary to achieve the U.S. goal of achieving integrated deterrence, and if necessary, capabilities required to successfully respond to aggression anywhere in the world at any time.

The specific B-21 unveiled Dec. 2 is one of six under production. Each is considered a test aircraft, but each is being built on the same production line, using the same tools, processes, and technicians who will build production aircraft. This approach has enabled production engineers and technicians to capture lessons learned and apply them directly to follow-on aircraft, driving home a focus on repeatability, producibility and quality.

The timing for first flight will be data and event, not date driven.

While the precise date when the B-21 will enter service is unknown, basing decisions have been made. Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota will become the first Main Operating Base and formal training unit for the B-21. Whiteman AFB, Missouri, and Dyess AFB, Texas, are the preferred locations for the remaining home bases. Each will receive aircraft as they become available.

In addition to building a bomber with state-of-the-art technology and capabilities, Air Force officials emphasized the focus on containing costs while simultaneously allowing for maximum flexibility.

For example, the B-21 is designed with an open systems architecture that will enable rapid future capability integration to keep pace with the highly contested threat environment.

The B-21 design is based on firm requirements with existing and mature technology to control program costs. In fact, the plane’s prime contractor, Northrop Grumman, has been directed to use production processes, production tooling, and a production workforce that ensures sustained and seamless production while avoiding unnecessary costs.

“Leveraging innovative manufacturing techniques, open systems architectures and active management allows us to integrate new technology as it matures and ensures the B-21 can adapt to future threats and be successful when and where we need it,” Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Andrew P. Hunter, said.

By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. (AFNS) —  

In a feat of air mobility endurance, a KC-46A Pegasus from the 157th Air Refueling Wing flew a non-stop mission halfway around the globe and back, Nov. 16 to 17.

The point-to-point, 36-hour, 16,000-mile, multi-crew, total force sortie was the longest such mission in the history of Air Mobility Command, the active duty major command to which the 157th ARW is aligned.

Gen. Mike Minihan, AMC commander, has relentlessly driven the command to find new ways to employ current assets in anticipation of a future fight.

“This extended mission is yet another example of capable Airmen taking charge and moving out to accelerate our employment of the KC-46A,” Minihan said. “This total force mission boldly highlights the imperative to think differently, change the way we do business, and provide options to the joint force.”

Leaving from the east coast of the U.S. on a cold and rain-soaked morning, the crew flew west across the country and out into the Pacific Ocean. After overflying Hawaii, the crew flew across the International Dateline to Guam, before turning around and retracing their steps home to New Hampshire, where they landed on the evening of Nov. 17; 36-hours to the minute after they launched.

Maj. Bill Daley, the mission’s aircraft commander and a traditional member of the New Hampshire Air National Guard, said the flight demonstrated the aircraft’s abilities to project and connect the joint force through its capacity for endurance, aircrew sustainment, refueling, situational awareness and connectivity, and airborne mission planning.

The KC-46A provides strategic flexibility to the Air Force through its unique blend of persistence and presence. It takes a continuous supply of fuel to stay aloft for hours on end. Since every KC-46A can itself be refueled in flight, each aircraft can persist in operations areas to provide sustained support to armed aircraft. The endurance mission put these capabilities on display, taking on fuel three times throughout the flight and delivering gas to F-22 Raptors while flying a closed-loop pattern off the coast of Hawaii.

The crew also leveraged the KC-46A’s secure and unclassified networks and situational awareness systems, which allow for a broad array of future uses. The platform’s situational awareness capabilities enable its protection in contested environments.

It takes more than gas to stay in the air — the crew must also be sustained, and this was another refueling barrier tested and shattered on the mission. Taking turns at the stick were two aircrews from the New Hampshire ANG’s 133rd Air Refueling Squadron and one active-duty crew from the affiliated 64th ARS. While one crew flew, the other two rested, taking advantage of the modern amenities provided by the jet.

According to Daley, earlier generations of refuelers lacked the basics needed to sustain crews for long-duration, multi-day missions. He said the old jets were incredibly uncomfortable and could go from hot to cold, contributing to crew fatigue. The Pegasus is a stark contrast to this.

“It’s like flying with first-class service,” Daley said, who is a civilian airline pilot when not flying for the Guard.

The KC-46A is climate controlled and comes equipped with kitchen, crew bunks and a lavatory. The configurability of the cargo area also allows for the placement of airline-style seats and additional sleeping areas to accommodate larger crews. For the endurance mission, a palletized kitchen and lavatory was also added to support the crew of 16 that included boom operators, aircraft maintainers, and a flight surgeon.

To pass the long hours when not on duty, the crew, spent time reading, watching movies, preparing meals, and sleeping in cots spread out through the cargo area.

Master Sgt. Michael Windy, a 133rd ARS boom operator who had nearly 3,000 hours of flight time on the KC-135 before converting to the KC-46, agreed with Daley on the increased comfort levels on the new aircraft that make missions like this one possible. With only a few hours remaining in the endurance sortie, Windy said he felt rested and comfortable.

“I was on the 22-hour sortie we flew to Saipan a few months ago, so I already had an idea of what to expect,” Windy said, who worked hard to keep the rest of the crew comfortable and fed. “I really haven’t noticed that much of a difference in how I feel.”

Senior Airman Paige Dunleavy, a 157th ARW avionics technician, said this was her first trip with a crew.

“The joke is that my first TDY is to Pease,” she said of the unusual point-to-point mission.

As a newer Airman who is in upgrade training, it was an excellent opportunity to see first-hand how the crew uses the systems she maintains.

“I definitely learned things and it was the first time I was able to troubleshoot a system in flight,” she said, indicating the civilian satellite communications system reboot she and another avionics technician were called on to execute when it was giving the aircrew problems.

Near the end of the mission, Dunleavy reported feeling normal overall, though she added that the hiker in her was excited to get back to the ground after flying over the Grand Canyon on the return leg of the trip.

Maj. Heidi MacVittie, a Pease ANG base flight surgeon, served as a human performance monitor aboard the flight and collected quantitative data throughout the mission. This data, along with that collected during the wing’s recent 20-hour mission, will be used to inform decision making for similar missions in the future.

“This mission was a true example of total force integration,” said Lt. Col. Brian Carloni, the 157th Operations Group commander. “The expertise of both our Guard and active-duty Airmen in executing this mission, demonstrated how critical teamwork is in any wartime scenario.”

Daley said the success was due to more than the total force crew aboard the jet. The mission, which came nearly two months to the day after Minihan approved the KC-46A for worldwide deployments—including combat missions—was the result of the hard work and dedication of the whole wing over multiple years and ultimately demonstrated the strength they bring to the fight.

“We have a healthy fleet and demonstrated full mission-readiness with onload and offload capabilities. We could execute tomorrow if we had to,” he said.

By SMSgt Timm Huffman, 157th Air Refueling Wing