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The U.S. Air Force has announced that it started integrating operational test pilots aboard the new B-21 Raider stealth bomber<\/a>. The service said that this first flight was conducted recently at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and the operational test pilot shared the cockpit with a developmental test pilot.<\/p>\n So far, the B-21 has been flown by the pilots of the 420th Flight Test Squadron, which are in charge of the developmental flight testing with the two first airframes. The operational test pilot was assigned to Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center\u2019s Detachment 5.<\/p>\n \u201cWe put an operational test member in the pilot seat with an Air Force Test Pilot School graduate in the other,\u201d said Col. Matt Guasco, AFOTEC Detachment 5 commander. \u201cIn the history of modern test, we\u2019ve never done that so early in a program.\u201d<\/p>\n The service says in its press release<\/a> that \u201cthe 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.\u201d A similar approach was first adopted with the F-15EX Eagle II<\/a>, which saw the developmental and operational testing advancing simultaneously, although the timelines were different.<\/p>\n \u201cTraditionally, 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,\u201d explains the Air Force. \u201cTransitioning directly into a combined DT\/OT environment eliminates the gap between ensuring a jet simply works and ensuring it is ready for combat.\u201d<\/p>\n Officials are describing this milestone as reflecting the sense of urgency around the fielding of the B-21 Raider. Both U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman officials said the B-21 is \u2018close\u2019 to enter service, and earlier this year they said that the B-21 is expected to arrive at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, in 2027<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIntegrating operational and developmental test in the B-21 program exemplifies the acquisition culture we\u2019re instilling throughout the force,\u201d said Gen. Dale White, the Department of War\u2019s direct reporting portfolio manager for critical major weapon systems. \u201cIt\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n White, who is responsible for Sentinel, F-47<\/a>, B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft, further reiterated that the B-21 is close to be fielded. \u201cIn the case of the Raider, it means we\u2019re now that much closer to placing asymmetric lethality into the hands of the warfighter,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cBringing operational testers onto the team at this early point in the program now means we can evaluate the bomber\u2019s true combat utility, not just its flying characteristics,\u201d said Lt. Col. Matthew Gray, 420th Flight Test Squadron commander and Raider CTF director.<\/p>\n The first B-21<\/a> arrived at Edwards AFB in November 2023, at the end of its first flight. Following the arrival of the second B-21<\/a> in September 2025, the service says the Raider Combined Test Force transitioned beyond initial flight performance checks into critical mission systems and weapon integration.<\/p>\n Gen. White held an all-call with the Raider CTF team at Edwards AFB<\/a> on June 8, 2026, during which he underscored the \u201cstrategic weight of accelerated testing.\u201d The General also stressed about the importance of the work being done across multiple programs.<\/p>\nCombined DT\/OT environment<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Urgency without recklessness<\/h3>\n
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