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Northrop Grumman

New Image of B-21 Bomber Tail Shows Different Exhausts and Rear Deck from B-2

Oct. 27, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
A new picture of the secret B-21 bomber shows that its exhaust and rear deck differs substantially from that of its predecessor, the B-2. The Air Force confirmed the image is of a B-21.

Northrop Has to Fly the B-21 to Get the LRIP Contract, Which Will Have ‘Zero Profit’

Oct. 26, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
Northrop Grumman won't get its B-21 low-rate initial production contract until after first flight happens, company officials said on their quarterly earnings call. They also said Northrop won’t make any money on the B-21 in the LRIP phase, due to higher labor costs and inflation ...

B-21 Begins Taxi Tests in Last Step Before First Flight

Oct. 25, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
The first B-21 bomber is conducting taxi tests at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., the service confirmed, meaning that first flight is likely fast approaching.

Air Force Picks Northrop Grumman for New Stand-in Attack Weapon

Sept. 25, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force has picked Northrop Grumman over L3Harris and Lockheed Martin to develop and build the Stand-in Attack Weapon, meant to swiftly destroy enemy air defense sites and other high-value targets.

USAF, Pentagon Take Steps to Make Sure Sentinel Hits Its Operational Service Date

Sept. 18, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
To achieve the Sentinel ICBMS's ambitious initial operational service date, the Air Force and Office of the Secretary of Defense have accelerated some steps to add margin to a program with little to spare.

CSAF Shows Off New Images of the B-21; Raider Begins Engine Runs

Sept. 12, 2023 | By Greg Hadley and John A. Tirpak
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. unveiled new imagery of the secretive B-21 Raider during his keynote address at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber conference on Sept. 12, the first glimpse of the stealthy bomber in months. 

USAF, Northrop Test New Tech That Lets the B-2 Update Mission Parameters ‘In Seconds’

Aug. 9, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
Northrop Grumman and the Air Force successfully demonstrated a new mission update system for the B-2 bomber in a two-day event at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., last month. The system receives new mission parameters and feeds them directly into the B-2’s computers without the ...

Northrop Won’t Bid on Air Force’s NGAD Fighter, But CCA, F/A-XX Programs Still in Play

July 27, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
Northrop Grumman won’t bid on the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter, but might go after the Navy's F/A-XX and Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft programs, company CEO Kathy Warden said July 27.

Successful B-21 Test Moves Bomber Closer to First Flight, Still on Track for 2023

July 27, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
In another step toward first flight, the initial B-21 Raider has had its first “power-on” test, Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden announced. The company still expects first flight—and a contract for low-rate initial production—by the end of 2023, she said in the company's second quarter ...

Northrop Tests Navigation System for Contested Airspace That Will Go on F-22

June 27, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak
Northrop Grumman has tested a new GPS/INS navigation system that works in GPS-jammed or -denied airspace. The system will make its way onto the F-22 and the Navy E-2D after testing is complete.

In Secret Solicitation, Air Force Starts Bidding for NGAD to Replace F-22

May 18, 2023 | By Greg Hadley and John A. Tirpak
The Air Force kicked off the process for selecting the contractor for its Next Generation Air Dominance fighter on May 18, releasing a classified solicitation to industry for Engineering and Manufacturing Development. In a release, the service said it hopes to award a contract by 2024. 

As USAF Considers a Blended-Wing Body Tanker, New Startup Reveals Its Concept

May 2, 2023 | By David Roza
As the Air Force embarks on what is likely to be a lengthy process of developing the Next Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) to help recapitalize its aerial refueling fleet, the service is placing more and more of a “premium on survivability” for future tankers, ...
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