AFA WARFARE SYMPOSIUM — The Air Force today announced a new agreement with Northrop Grumman to “ramp” production of the in-development B-21 Raider, using $4.5 billion in reconciliation funding to help deliver the bomber by 2027.
“The B-21 is doing well,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told the AFA Warfare Symposium. In fuller statements in an Air Force release, Meink said, “Accelerating production capacity now ensures we deliver operational capability to combatant commanders faster — strengthening our ability to outpace, deter, and, if necessary, defeat emerging threats. This is disciplined execution at the speed the security environment demands.”
The Air Force also revealed that it expects to have the aircraft “on the ramp at Ellsworth Air Force Base” in South Dakota in 2027.
“This decision reflects our confidence in the program’s performance and the stability of the industrial base,” Gen. Dale R. White, direct reporting manager for critical weapon systems including the B-21, said in the Air Force release. “By increasing production capacity now, we are responsibly accelerating delivery of a critical, combat-effective capability to the warfighter.”
The 2027 date appears to be a new target, though the Air Force has said [PDF] it expected the aircraft to be “delivered to operational bases in the mid-2020s.”
The new agreement was previously outlined by Northrop CEO Kathy Warden, who said during a recent earnings call that a contract to expand the stealth bomber’s production should be inked by March. The $4.5 billion spending boost for the B-21 program outlined by lawmakers as part of the 2025 reconciliation package will help fund the accelerated production.
Some officials have also called for expanding the Raider’s program of record beyond an expected 100 aircraft. Meink did not address whether the bomber’s overall buy would change, with a current price that tag teeters around $700 million per copy. The aircraft began flight testing in November 2023 and subsequently entered low-rate production, where it’s manufactured at Northrop’s Palmdale, Calif., facilities.
“Getting the B-21 Raider into the hands of our Air Force operators and maintainers is the mission of thousands of dedicated Northrop Grumman team members,” Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president at Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems, said in a company release.