The first pre-production B-21 Raider stealth bomber has been successfully “powered on,” according to manufacturer Northrop Grumman. The company also says that is still expecting the B-21 to make its first flight later this year. This comes amid concerns about delays and cost growth in the program, which is a top priority for Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force.

Kathy Warden and Dave Keffer, Northrop Grumman’s CEO and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), respectively, discussed the B-21 program during a quarterly earnings call yesterday. On that same call, Warden disclosed that the company would no longer be competing to win the contract to design and build a new sixth-generation stealthy crewed combat jet for the Air Force as part of that service’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, a significant additional development that you can read more about here.