General Dale White backs B2 Bomber testing with 2028 target
The US Air Force put an operational test pilot in the b2 bomber’s cockpit alongside a developmental test pilot early in the B-21 Raider flight-testing program, doing so for the first time. The latest tranche of tests paired Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 5 with the Air Force Test Pilot School as the service pushes the aircraft toward operational use.
General Dale White on B-21 tests
General Dale White, the Department of War’s direct reporting portfolio manager for critical major weapon systems, said the approach fits the acquisition culture the service wants across the force. “Integrating operational and developmental tests in the B-21 program exemplifies the acquisition culture we’re instilling throughout the force,” he said.
White added: “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.”
AFOTEC Detachment 5 cockpit pairing
Operational testing measures combat effectiveness, suitability, and survivability in realistic threat environments with operational personnel aboard. Developmental testing checks the airframe’s structural integrity, aerodynamic characteristics, performance, and engineering systems. By combining both earlier in the program, the Air Force can relay operational feedback to Northrop Grumman in near real time.
That sequencing runs against the normal order for military aircraft flight testing, where developmental testing usually comes before operational testing. The B-21 is one of the three legs of the American nuclear deterrence triad, and the Air Force is also trying to keep the program on schedule under a new directive that tells leaders to prioritize resources and remove bureaucratic and administrative obstacles.
2028 B-21 service target
The Air Force expects to field at least 200 B-21 Raiders. The first Raider is expected to enter operational service by 2028, with the fleet expected to augment and eventually replace the B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit by 2040. The B-21 is expected to succeed the B-52J Stratofortress in the 2050s.
For crews and program managers, the practical change is the faster feedback loop. For the service, the risk is still the same as with any major aircraft program: if issues surface late, they can force redesigns, extra cost, or delays. Putting an operational pilot in the cockpit this early is the Air Force’s answer to that problem.
