The pilot was assigned to Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 5 at Edwards Air Force Base. The Air Force said the integration of operational testing at this stage breaks down historical barriers in the flight test pipeline.
“We put an operational test member in the pilot seat with an Air Force Test Pilot School graduate in the other,” said Col. Matt Guasco, AFOTEC Det. 5 commander. “In the history of modern test, we’ve never done that so early in a program.”
Developmental testing traditionally confirms that an aircraft meets technical specifications and can fly safely. Operational testing is usually conducted separately and later to determine whether the platform is combat-effective, suitable and survivable for the warfighter.
The Air Force said moving directly into a combined developmental and operational test environment removes the gap between confirming that an aircraft works and assessing whether it is ready for combat. The approach is intended to accelerate evaluation of the B-21’s operational utility.
“Integrating operational and developmental test in the B-21 program exemplifies the acquisition culture we’re instilling throughout the force,” said Gen. 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.”
White is responsible for weapon systems described as critical to national security, including Sentinel, F-47, B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. The 412th Test Wing currently tests the B-21 and CCA.
“In the case of the Raider,” White said, “it means we’re now that much closer to placing asymmetric lethality into the hands of the warfighter.” The Air Force said the B-21 test programme has moved beyond early flight performance checks.
The shift follows the arrival of a second B-21 at Edwards Air Force Base last summer. The Raider Combined Test Force has since moved into critical mission systems and weapon integration work.
“Bringing operational testers onto the team at this early point in the program now means we can evaluate the bomber’s true combat utility, not just its flying characteristics,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Gray, 420th Flight Test Squadron commander and Raider CTF director.
The Raider Combined Test Force at Edwards includes Airmen and Air Force civilians from several organisations. These include the 412th Test Wing’s 420th Flight Test Squadron, AFOTEC Detachment 5, the 53rd Wing’s 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, and Northrop Grumman industry partners.
During a June 8 all-call with the Raider Combined Test Force, White stressed the importance of accelerated testing. He told the team that the mission carried significant strategic weight.
“There are three programs the future of our nation depends upon: Sentinel, B-21 and F-47,” he told the crowd. “These are the capabilities our nation will turn to in its darkest hour.”
White said his two core priorities for the B-21 are ensuring the programme is properly resourced and preventing bureaucratic processes from overloading the test team. He asked the team directly, “How can I clear the way?”
“I’m not going to be reckless and say go faster,” White said. He said the effort required a cultural shift built around “urgency with purpose, urgency with meaning.”
White called on the Raider workforce to push boundaries and challenge processes and culture. “I will do the same,” he said.
“And we at the Pentagon will operate with the same urgency we’re asking of you,” White said. When asked what keeps him up at night, he pointed to the risk of failing to act with urgency.
“I worry that we don’t embrace urgency. I worry that talk is cheap. I worry about the courage to challenge leaders,” he said.
White closed by expressing confidence in the Raider Combined Test Force and underscoring the stakes of the programme. “I would not want to place this mission in the hands of anyone else,” he said.
“You’re the very best this nation has to offer, and when we unleash you with urgency, founded upon meaning and purpose, then no adversary stands a chance,” White said. The Air Force said the B-21 Raider, with its long-range deep-strike reach, will join the B-52 Stratofortress and its standoff payload capability as the backbone of America’s future bomber force.
