This month, Northrop Grumman [NOC] began loads calibration testing of the first B-21 Raider stealth bomber in Palmdale, Calif., the company said on May 25. Another five bombers are in production, Northrop Grumman has said. The U.S. Air Force fiscal 2023 budget request contains the first procurement funding for the B-21--nearly $1.8 billion for the low-rate initial production (LRIP) phase. The loads calibration of the first B-21 consists of a number of instrumentation and aircraft structural tests that stress the…
