In another illustration of how defense programs are being fast-tracked, the US Air Force has, for the first time, placed an operational pilot alongside a test pilot early in the flight-testing program for the B-21 Raider nuclear bomber.
Normally, the flight testing of military aircraft follows a well-defined sequence leading up to deployment. Historically, this process can take months or even years. Developmental testing is first carried out by test pilots to verify the airframe's structural integrity, aerodynamic characteristics, performance, and engineering systems. This is followed by operational testing, in which operational test pilots evaluate the aircraft's combat effectiveness, suitability, and survivability in realistic threat environments while crewed by operational personnel.
However, it is that "months or even years" timeline that is giving the Pentagon a bit of an itch. The B-21 represents one of the three legs of the American nuclear deterrence triad, and, given the current geopolitical climate, there is considerable pressure to compress development and testing phases as much as possible.
The latest tranche of tests took place with an operational test pilot from the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) Detachment 5 in the cockpit alongside a developmental test pilot from the Air Force Test Pilot School. The fast-tracking is part of a modernization effort for the B-21 that also encompasses the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile and the F-47 next-generation combat aircraft.
Under a new directive, Air Force leaders are required to prioritize resource allocation and actively remove bureaucratic and administrative obstacles to keep programs on schedule. By combining developmental and operational testing at an earlier stage, operational feedback can be relayed to primary contractor Northrop Grumman in near real time, allowing issues to be addressed before they require costly retrofits or modifications.
The US Air Force is expected to field a fleet of at least 200 B-21 Raiders that will augment and eventually replace the B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers by 2040, and ultimately succeed the B-52J Stratofortress in the 2050s. The first Raider is expected to enter operational service by 2028.
"Integrating operational and developmental tests in the B-21 program exemplifies the acquisition culture we’re instilling throughout the force," said General Dale White, the Department of War's direct reporting portfolio manager for critical major weapon systems. "It’s a smarter and faster mindset that leverages modern production and test tools with the proper sense of urgency, urgency that challenges old processes and moves us to a more agile acquisition system."
Source: Edwards Air Force Base
