EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- In another milestone for the B-21 Raider program, an operational test pilot recently flew the bomber with a developmental test pilot sharing the cockpit.
The integration of operational test marks a major shift in how the Air Force evaluates its most critical next-generation aircraft, breaking down historical barriers in the flight test pipeline. The pilot was assigned to Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center’s Detachment 5 at Edwards AFB.
“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.”
Traditionally, developmental test ensures an aircraft meets its technical specifications and flies safely, while operational test is conducted separately and much later to determine if the platform is combat-effective, suitable and survivable in the hands of the warfighter. Transitioning directly into a combined DT/OT environment eliminates the gap between ensuring a jet simply works and ensuring it is ready for combat.
“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 the weapon systems most critical to national security, including Sentinel, F-47, B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. The 412th Test Wing currently tests the B-21and 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.”
A B-21 Raider conducts flight tests, which includes ground testing, taxiing and flying operations, at Edwards Air Force Base, California, where it continues to make progress toward becoming the backbone of the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet. (U.S. Air Force photo)
With last summer’s arrival of a second B-21 to Edwards AFB, the Raider Combined Test Force transitioned beyond initial flight performance checks into critical mission systems and weapon integration.
“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 CTF at Edwards is comprised of Airmen and Air Force civilians from the 412th Test Wing’s 420th Flight Test Squadron, AFOTEC Det 5 and the 53rd Wing’s 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, along with Northrop Grumman industry partners.
Air Force Gen. Dale White, Department of War direct reporting portfolio manager for critical major weapon systems, addresses members of the 412th Test Wing’s Raider Combined Test Force at Edwards AFB, California. “[We’re] that much closer to placing asymmetric lethality into the hands of the warfighter,” White said shortly after the first B-21 mission flown by an operational test pilot. (U.S. Air Force photo)
White: “How Can I Clear the Way?”
During an all-call with the Raider CTF team June 8, White underscored the strategic weight of accelerated testing and delivered a clear message on the gravity of the team’s mission.
“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.”
Encouraging the team to break formation and gather around him for a candid conversation, White outlined his two core priorities for the B-21: ensuring the program is resourced correctly and ensuring that "bureaucratic processes" do not overload the testing team.
“I’m not going to be reckless and say go faster,” he said. Instead, he asked the team directly, “How can I clear the way?”
Part of clearing that way, he said, requires a cultural shift. White stressed the need to demonstrate “urgency with purpose, urgency with meaning,” acknowledging that there are no easy days going forward. He called on the Raider workforce to push boundaries, challenge processes and challenge culture.
“I will do the same,” he said. “And we at the Pentagon will operate with the same urgency we’re asking of you.”
When a CTF member asked what keeps him up at night, White did not hesitate.
“I worry that we don’t embrace urgency. I worry that talk is cheap. I worry about the courage to challenge leaders,” he said.
Closing his remarks, White reminded the CTF of the stakes involved and expressed confidence in their capabilities.
“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.”
The B-21 Raider, with its long-range deep-strike reach, will join the B-52 Stratofortress, with it’s massive-payload standoff capability, to form the backbone of America’s future bomber force.