The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman have agreed to increase production capacity of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber by 25% to accelerate the delivery of the service’s next-generation long-range strike platform, the U.S. Air Force announced in a press release issued on February 23.
The deal uses $4.5 billion in funds previously authorized and appropriated under the Fiscal Year 2025 reconciliation legislation, commonly known as the “Big Beautiful Act.”
The move accelerates approved acquisitions by increasing annual production capacity by 25% and compressing delivery times while maintaining cost and performance discipline.
The B-21 Raider, manufactured by Northrop Grumman, is currently in a low-rate initial production phase and will begin production after a contract is signed in January 2024.
Aircraft deliveries will begin as planned in 2025, with the first operational aircraft expected to arrive at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in 2027, according to the release.
“The B-21 is the foundation of our long-range strike capabilities and credible deterrence,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in a press release. “Accelerating production capabilities now ensures we deliver warfighting capabilities to combatant commanders more quickly, enhancing our ability to outrun, deter, and, if necessary, defeat emerging threats. This is rigorously executed at the speed required by the security environment.”
The program’s baseline procurement profile calls for a gradual increase in production, with an eventual full production rate of approximately seven aircraft per year, according to previously published estimates.
Although the Air Force has long had a goal of purchasing at least 100 aircraft over the next few decades to replace its aging fleet of B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit aircraft, the total number planned remains classified.
“This is what disciplined acquisition does,” Gen. Dale R. White, program portfolio manager who reports directly to the undersecretary of Defense and director of critical major weapons systems, said in the release. “This decision reflects our confidence in the program’s performance and the stability of the industrial base. By adding production capabilities now, we are responsibly accelerating the delivery of critical, combat-ready capabilities to the warfighter.”
The B-21 Raider is the Air Force’s top acquisition priority for nuclear modernization and conventional long-range strike, designed to provide decisive advantage in complex battlespaces.
This production expansion is consistent with broader DoD efforts under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to rapidly accelerate the acquisition and fielding of next-generation capabilities amid evolving threats.
No new production rates or fleet totals were disclosed other than a 25% increase in capacity.
