New B-21 Raider

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Over the last few months following various websites it suprises me how much about the new B-21 is being talked about. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall talked about how five of them are in final assembly. The B2 was first flown in 1989 and was so secret that maybe a dozen people in total knew about it. The F-117A flew for close to 10 years before any real acknowledgment of its existence. It seems odd how out in the open its existence has been. Secondly how much stealthier can we get? Supposedly when the B2 Spirit debuted it was the size of a small bird, the F-22 was said to be the size of a bee. What's everyones thoughs on this. I figured it would have been a decade or longer before any information would have come out on its existence.
 
The B-2 was hardly a secret - even its first flight was televised. The low-observability aspect of the F-117 was something really new and was kept secret accordingly. Now that all major militaries are working on this type of platform, the existence of a new aircraft doesn’t have to be kept secret, only its true capabilities.
 
Interesting. I forgot to mention above that Years ago a friend of mines ex-stepmom worked for Northrop Grumman on the B2. She assembled part of the landing gear i think. It was so compartmentalized she didn't really know what she was making. Just attach piece A to piece B then bolt together, then hand it off to the next station.
 
We have to remember that low observable stealth technology not only means a small radar cross section but it includes various jamming technologies as well.

System Integration is probably the main focus as of now.
 
The B-2 was hardly a secret - even its first flight was televised. The low-observability aspect of the F-117 was something really new and was kept secret accordingly. Now that all major militaries are working on this type of platform, the existence of a new aircraft doesn’t have to be kept secret, only its true capabilities.

It was very secret. Maybe not quite F-117 level secret, but it was kept under wraps for years during its development. It certainly wasn't like the Advanced Tactical Fighter or Joint Strike Fighter programs that had extremely public call for bids, development, testing, and public demos.

The other deal about the B-21 is that they're likely to produce way more than the 21 B-2s that were built. Weren't there supposed to be over 100 B-2s?
 
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