While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.
The Air Force says it is unaware of quality issues with work done by Spirit AeroSystems on the B-21 bomber. Spirit is under investigation by the NTSB for its work on Boeing 737 MAX airliners which may have contributed to a January in-flight accident.
As Pentagon and Space Force leaders start planning for a future of dynamic space operations where satellites can maneuver as needed and get refueled to prolong their service lives, industry leaders are preparing to deploy new technology and finalizing their concepts of operations for what ...
Northrop Grumman took a $1.56 billion charge on its B-21 bomber program for the Air Force, company officials said in its quarterly earnings report. Inflation and “a lot more information” derived from building and flying the first aircraft drove the overage, officials said.
The Air Force has awarded contracts to five companies for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program to design and build unmanned, autonomous aircraft to fly alongside manned platforms, a spokesperson confirmed to Air & Space Forces Magazine: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Anduril, and General Atomics.
Northrop Grumman has received the B-21 low-rate initial production contract, which was keyed to achieving the first flight of the new bomber, which happened Nov. 10, 2023. The value of the contract may be revealed when Northrop holds its fourth quarter 2023 earnings call later ...
The new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile being developed by the Air Force and Northrop Grumman will cost 37 percent more than expected and take at least two years longer than previous projections before achieving initial operational capability—compelling the service to extend the life of some ...
A test of the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM’s second stage rocket motor in a vacuum chamber was successful and will help the company validate performance predictions made in its digital design, the company announced.
The head of a new office created to oversee the modernization of the Air Force’s intercontinental ballistic missile fleet said he expects to receive a schedule update on the Sentinel program “at the end of the year” from contractor Northrop Grumman. Brig. Gen. Colin J. Connor, ...
The first B-21 Raider bomber took off from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., just after dawn on Nov. 10, in a flight that concluded at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif, after 90 minutes, according to local observers. "This was a test flight," said ...
New images of the secretive B-21 bomber undergoing engine runs and taxi tests outside Northrop Grumman’s facilities in Palmdale, Calif., show vertical features that have industry experts scratching their heads regarding some prominent elements.
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.