A rendering of the B-21 Raider, the Air Force's newest bomber, built by Northrop Grumman. (U.S. Air Force)
Defense One: B-21 cost info to stay secret despite new Air Force leadership
AASHINGTON — Don’t hold your breath waiting for the contract value of the B-21 Raider to be revealed. While the U.S. Air Force’s top general reviews the bomber program every few months to see whether new details can be released, it will be “some time” before the service divulges more cost information, the Air Force undersecretary said Oct. 12.
Out of the Air Force’s top three acquisition priorities, the B-21 Raider is its most secretive, with only a few details disclosed to the public, such as the estimated price per aircraft and a list of the major contractors.
The service has taken a hard line against releasing the value of the development contract awarded to Northrop Grumman in 2015, with officials saying that doing so would give adversaries information that would allow them to extrapolate on the bomber’s design.
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Update: US Air Force Official Flips Position, Opposes Disclosing B-21 Raider Costs (Sputnik).
WNU Editor: Everyone knows that the B-21 program is happening .... so why the secrecy on its costs? All that I can say is that the U.S. Air Force has a lousy history when it comes to procurement .... and they have certainly not won anyone's trust when it comes to cost. But for the moment .... the Pentagon, White House, and the Congress are one on this program, and there will be no release on what this program has cost right now.