Northrop Grumman announced on Tuesday that it received the Aviation Week Grand Laureate Award for its role as the prime contractor in delivering the B-21 Raider to the United States Air Force. The company also released a never-before-seen photo of the next-generation stealth bomber.
"On behalf of the entire nationwide B-21 Raider team, Northrop Grumman is honored to receive this prestigious award," said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems.
Jones said, "The Grand Laureate represents the pioneering spirit, innovative technology and trailblazing approach to contract management that has brought the world's first sixth-generation aircraft to life."
The stealth bomber is undergoing test flights at Edwards Air Force Base in California and "continues to meet all DoD technical, schedule and affordability requirements on its path to operational capability," the defense contractor said.
The Raider's first test flight was caught on camera and uploaded on X in November.
B-21 RAIDER FIRST FLIGHT 11-10-23 #RAIDER33 #B21Raider pic.twitter.com/3tEKudqDiw
— Matt Hartman (@ShorealoneFilms) November 10, 2023
Other images of the Raider have been slowly released to the public in the last six months.
The Raider will be the backbone of the USAF's bomber fleet, replacing the B-2A Spirit and B-1B Lancer bombers in the coming years.
"The limited production rate of the B-21 is the only thing that I wish we could do a little quicker," Gen. Anthony J. Cotton said during a recent Senate Armed Services Committee.
And why is that?
Well, you'll find that answer here: "Putin Warns Of 'Full-Scale WW3' If West Sends Troops To Ukraine."
