The B-21 Raider Bomber Combined Test Force Has A Ridiculously Sinister Shakespearean Motto

By Tyler Rogoway and Joseph Trevithick

Updated Feb 2, 2021 9:15 PM EST

The B-21 Raider , which will really be much more than just a bomber , looms over the Air Force like a giant shadow. By every indication, the public reveal of the aircraft, two of which are under construction now, will be the biggest such moment since its progenitor, the B-2 , was rolled out, 33 years ago . At the same time, the test force that is set to usher it into an operational capacity has been stood up for some time now, along with new facilities to accommodate it at Edwards AFB . While we have seen this task force’s patch before, now we get a glimpse at its challenge coin, which includes an especially sinister motto.

The challenge coin images come to us via our friend and accomplished photojournalist Ashley Wallace . He collects rare military patches and challenges coins, and this is one of the most prized in his collection, which you can examine more of over on Instagram.

Three years ago we worked to decode the first appearance of the B-21 Combined Test Force patch, which looked identical to the side of the challenge coin with the reaper and the name “PRAENUNTIUS” or “harbinger of things to come” on it, which you can read about in full here . As if that wasn’t ominous enough, the unit that is tasked with bringing the B-21 to life’s challenge coin presents another motto on its flipside that actually pairs directly with the other: “HUC VENIT MALUM.”

The B-21, which will have conventional and nuclear roles, will be the most advanced air combat aircraft ever built., USAF/Compisite image

We have inquired about this Latin term with multiple people. A number of translations have come from it, but many of them pretty much say a similar thing in different ways. This mainly includes “here comes evil,” but by most indications, including a Latin professor’s, the motto is a reference to a quote from Shakespeare’s Macbeth: “something wicked this way comes.”

A synopsis from nosweatshakespeare.com reads:

With the help of his wife Macbeth murders King Duncan, and from that moment on things change. He does become king but paranoia begins to affect him and he takes extreme measures, including more murders, to cover up his crime and keep his hold on power. He very quickly descends into a state of pure evil, and Shakespeare saturates the text with images of evil, hell, violence, darkness, associated with him. To show the extent of his depravity Shakespeare shows one of his agents murdering a child onstage. The witches, supernatural creatures, are representatives of pure evil, their existence being entirely devoted to destroying human beings. Macbeth is their current big project and they watch his decline. When he can’t stand his guilt and fear anymore he decides to seek the witches out to find out what’s going to happen to him. They know he’s coming, and as he approaches, the second witch tells her sisters: ‘By the pricking of my thumbs/Something wicked this way comes.’ He is now a thing, not a person, and very far from the hero he was at the beginning of the play. He is not just a thing, but something wicked, coming this way. It’s a terrifying image – the kind of thing that terrifies us in horror movies.

With the help of his wife Macbeth murders King Duncan, and from that moment on things change. He does become king but paranoia begins to affect him and he takes extreme measures, including more murders, to cover up his crime and keep his hold on power. He very quickly descends into a state of pure evil, and Shakespeare saturates the text with images of evil, hell, violence, darkness, associated with him. To show the extent of his depravity Shakespeare shows one of his agents murdering a child onstage.

The witches, supernatural creatures, are representatives of pure evil, their existence being entirely devoted to destroying human beings. Macbeth is their current big project and they watch his decline. When he can’t stand his guilt and fear anymore he decides to seek the witches out to find out what’s going to happen to him. They know he’s coming, and as he approaches, the second witch tells her sisters: ‘By the pricking of my thumbs/Something wicked this way comes.’

He is now a thing, not a person, and very far from the hero he was at the beginning of the play. He is not just a thing, but something wicked, coming this way. It’s a terrifying image – the kind of thing that terrifies us in horror movies.

There is also the Ray Bradbury horror/fantasy novel by the same name with its own evil connotations.

Regardless, the Shakespearean-callback plays nicely into the aforementioned harbinger motto, as well, as the Combined Test Force is there to usher in what will be the most capable, sinister, and deadly aircraft the force Air Force has ever fielded .

Below the motto on the challenge coin, there is also the logo of the No Fear clothing brand. This has become a popular symbol for having “no fear” in some U.S. military aviation communities, including the U.S. Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). For instance, the logo was seen on the front of a 160th SOAR MH-6 Little Bird helicopter during a training exercise in 2019.

The side of the challenge coin with the motto also mentions Northrop, the 412th Test Wing, and the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center’s (AFOTEC) Detachment 5 (Det 5). The 420th Flight Test Squadron, the designated Combined Test Force unit, which the Air Force activated at Edwards Air Force Base in California in 2019, is assigned to the 412th Test Wing. AFOTEC Detachment 5, also based at Edwards, is responsible for operational test and evaluation of various types of aircraft , including bombers.

The appearance of the challenge coin comes as work on the B-21 program continues to progress steadily. As of January, two Raiders were under construction at Northrop Grumman’s portion of Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, according to Randall Walden , head of service’s Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO), which is overseeing the B-21 program. The first aircraft, which Walden had said was “starting to look like an airplane ” back in August 2020, is now due to make its first flight sometime in mid-2022. There had been hope that this event would occur before the end of this year , but there had also already been indications that the timeline would get pushed back .

“In the last few months, we did another successful end-to-end demonstration to further mature that hardware and software, and it’s working quite well,” Walden had told Air Force Magazine in an interview that was published last month. “We’re working not only in the flight test activities, but also working with the government test infrastructure to make sure that what we’re doing, from a system integration point of view, makes sense.” The mention of flight activities likely includes surrogate demonstrator aircraft, like the specially outfitted Gulfstream owned by Northrop Grumman that has been highly active over the Pentagon’s secure test ranges, but also potentially some form of classified technology demonstrators or other existing platforms.

Walden would not say specifically what issue or issues had been responsible for delaying the first flight, but said they “required some … basic changes to the design, of which we have a good understanding today through ground testing and engine testing.” He added that problems with thrust generation, linked to the aircraft’s complex stealthy engine intakes and their serpentine ducting, something that became public knowledge in 2018 , have been resolved.

Walden further explained that the second prototype was being used to further prove out advanced production techniques that will be required to produce the bombers in quantity. “We’re very pleased with the … very high percentages of efficiency … as compared to No. 1,” he said of the construction of the number two aircraft.

“The second one is really more about structures, and the overall structural capability,” he added. “We’ll go in and bend it, we’ll test it to its limits, make sure that the design and the manufacturing and the production line make sense.”

As noted, the 420th Flight Test Squadron is already waiting at Edwards to begin flight testing prototype B-21s. There has been significant construction at that base ahead of the arrival of these bombers, as well, which you can read about more in these past War Zone pieces .

Beyond that, the service is already laying the groundwork for the first operational squadron, which is set to be activated at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota sometime in the mid-2020s. Additional squadrons are then expected to subsequently stand up at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and Dyess Air Force Base in Texas.

Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com

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作者：泰勒·罗戈韦和约瑟夫·特雷维西克

更新于美国东部时间2021年2月2日晚上9:15。

B-21“突袭者”轰炸机远不止是一款轰炸机，它如同巨大的阴影笼罩着美国空军。种种迹象表明，这款飞机（目前有两架正在建造中）的公开亮相将是自其前身B-2轰炸机33年前问世以来最重大的事件。与此同时，负责测试B-21并使其具备作战能力的测试部队也已组建完毕，爱德华兹空军基地也新建了相应的设施。虽然我们之前已经见过这支测试部队的臂章，但现在我们得以一窥其挑战币，上面镌刻着一句格外阴森的格言。

这些挑战币的图片来自我们的朋友、资深摄影记者阿什利·华莱士。他收藏稀有的军用臂章和挑战币，而这枚挑战币是他收藏中最珍贵的藏品之一，你可以在他的Instagram账号上查看更多照片。

三年前，我们曾努力解读B-21联合测试部队臂章的首次亮相，它与挑战币的一面图案完全相同，上面印有死神和“PRAENUNTIUS”（预兆）字样，您可以在这里阅读全文。更令人不安的是，负责将B-21投入实战的部队还在挑战币的另一面印上了一句格言，与前面的格言直接对应：“HUC VENIT MALUM”（恶行必将降临）。

B-21轰炸机将具备常规和核作战能力，是迄今为止建造的最先进的空战飞机。（美国空军/合成图片）

我们向多人询问过这个拉丁语词汇。它有很多译法，但很多译法都大同小异，只是表达方式不同。其中一种主要译法是“邪恶降临”，但大多数迹象表明，包括一位拉丁语教授的说法，这句格言引用了莎士比亚戏剧《麦克白》中的一句台词：“邪恶降临”。

nosweatshakespeare.com网站上的剧情简介如下：

在妻子的帮助下，麦克白谋杀了邓肯国王，从此一切都发生了改变。他虽然登上了王位，但偏执开始侵蚀他的内心，为了掩盖罪行、巩固权力，他采取了极端手段，甚至犯下了更多谋杀。他很快便堕入了纯粹的邪恶之中，莎士比亚在剧中大量运用了与他相关的邪恶、地狱、暴力和黑暗的意象。为了展现他堕落的程度，莎士比亚甚至安排他的一个爪牙在舞台上杀害了一个孩子。女巫，这些超自然生物，是纯粹邪恶的化身，她们存在的意义就是毁灭人类。麦克白是她们眼中最重要的目标，她们注视着他的堕落。当他再也无法忍受内心的愧疚和恐惧时，他决定去寻找女巫，探寻自己的命运。女巫们早已预知他的到来，当他靠近时，第二个女巫告诉她的姐妹们：“我的拇指会感到刺痛，/邪恶即将降临。”他现在已不再是人，而是一个物，与剧作开篇时的英雄形象相去甚远。他不仅是个物，更是某种邪恶的存在，正朝我们逼近。这景象令人毛骨悚然——就像恐怖电影里那种吓唬我们的东西。

在妻子的帮助下，麦克白谋杀了邓肯国王，从此一切都发生了改变。他虽然登上了王位，但偏执狂开始侵蚀他的内心，为了掩盖罪行、巩固权力，他采取了极端手段，包括犯下更多谋杀。他很快便堕入了纯粹的邪恶深渊，莎士比亚在剧中大量运用了与他相关的邪恶、地狱、暴力和黑暗意象。为了展现他堕落的程度，莎士比亚甚至安排他的一个爪牙在舞台上杀害了一个孩子。

女巫是超自然生物，代表着纯粹的邪恶，她们存在的全部意义就是毁灭人类。麦克白是她们眼中的“大目标”，她们注视着他的堕落。当他再也无法忍受内心的愧疚和恐惧时，他决定去找女巫，探寻自己的命运。她们知道他即将到来，当他靠近时，第二个女巫告诉她的姐妹们：“我的拇指会刺痛，/邪恶即将降临。”

他现在已不再是人，而是一个物，与剧作开篇时的英雄形象相去甚远。他不仅是个物，更是某种邪恶的存在，正朝我们逼近。这景象令人毛骨悚然——就像恐怖电影里那种吓唬我们的东西。

还有雷·布拉德伯里创作的同名恐怖/奇幻小说，带有其独特的邪恶含义。

无论如何，莎士比亚式的呼应也很好地契合了前面提到的预兆格言，因为联合试验部队的出现是为了迎接空军有史以来部署的最强大、最阴险、最致命的飞机。

挑战币上的格言下方是“无所畏惧”（No Fear）服装品牌的标志。这已成为美国部分军事航空群体（包括美国陆军第160特种作战航空团（SOAR））中“无所畏惧”的象征。例如，在2019年的一次训练演习中，人们就曾在第160特种作战航空团的一架MH-6“小鸟”直升机机头上看到过这个标志。

挑战币上印有格言的一面还提到了诺斯罗普公司、第412测试联队以及空军作战测试与评估中心（AFOTEC）第五分遣队（Det 5）。第420飞行测试中队是空军指定的联合测试部队单位，于2019年在加利福尼亚州爱德华兹空军基地成立，隶属于第412测试联队。同样驻扎在爱德华兹的AFOTEC第五分遣队负责对包括轰炸机在内的各种类型飞机进行作战测试和评估。

随着B-21项目稳步推进，挑战币也随之亮相。据负责B-21项目的美国陆军快速能力办公室（RCO）主任兰德尔·沃尔登（Randall Walden）称，截至今年1月，两架“突袭者”（Raider）轰炸机正在加利福尼亚州帕姆代尔的诺斯罗普·格鲁曼公司42号工厂建造中。沃尔登曾在2020年8月表示，第一架飞机“已经开始看起来像一架飞机了”，如今预计将于2022年年中进行首飞。此前曾有希望首飞能在今年年底前完成，但也有迹象表明首飞时间将会推迟。

“在过去的几个月里，我们又一次成功完成了端到端演示，进一步完善了硬件和软件，目前运行状况良好，”沃尔登在上个月发表于《空军杂志》的采访中说道。“我们不仅在进行飞行测试活动，还与政府的测试基础设施合作，以确保从系统集成的角度来看，我们的工作是合理的。”这里提到的飞行活动可能包括替代演示飞机，例如诺斯罗普·格鲁曼公司拥有的那架经过特殊改装的湾流飞机，该飞机一直在五角大楼的安全测试靶场上空频繁飞行；但也可能包括某种形式的机密技术演示飞机或其他现有平台。

沃尔登没有具体说明导致首飞延误的具体问题，但他表示这些问题“需要对设计进行一些……根本性的改动，而我们目前通过地面测试和发动机测试已经对此有了充分的了解。”他还补充说，与飞机复杂的隐形发动机进气口及其蛇形管道相关的推力产生问题（这些问题在2018年被公开）已经得到解决。

沃尔登进一步解释说，第二架原型机用于进一步验证批量生产轰炸机所需的先进生产技术。“我们对第二架原型机的效率非常满意……与第一架相比，它的效率非常高，”他谈到第二架原型机的建造时说道。

“第二个问题其实更侧重于结构，以及整体结构性能，”他补充道。“我们会进行弯曲测试，检验其极限性能，确保设计、制造和生产线都合理可行。”

正如前文所述，第420飞行测试中队已在爱德华兹空军基地待命，准备开始对B-21原型机进行飞行测试。为了迎接这些轰炸机的到来，该基地也进行了大规模的建设，您可以在之前的“战区”系列文章中了解更多相关信息。

除此之外，该军种已在为首个作战中队做准备，该中队计划于2020年代中期在南达科他州埃尔斯沃思空军基地组建。随后，预计还将在密苏里州怀特曼空军基地和德克萨斯州戴斯空军基地组建其他中队。

联系作者：Tyler@thedrive.com

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