Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) has agreed to share data with the U.S. Air Force related to the ongoing development of the B-21 Raider Long Range Strike Bomber and its virtual model.
Under a signed agreement, USAF will have access to common data environments, including a cloud-based platform that houses a suite of ground systems data and a digital twin of the aircraft, the company said Wednesday.
Doug Young, sector vice president and general manager of aeronautics systems at Northrop, said the company seeks to reduce risk in the program’s engineering and manufacturing development phase, accelerate system updates and manage sustainment costs of the new bomber platform.
USAF plans to showcase the highly-anticipated plane at an unveiling ceremony the builder will host in the first week of December.
The company continues ground test efforts to power up the aircraft, assess subsystems and apply coatings and paint. B-21 will undergo engine and low-speed and high-speed taxi tests before its initial flight sometime in 2023.
