A second B-21 Raider, the nation’s sixth-generation stealth bomber, joins flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2025. (U.S. Air Force)
The Air Force is taking a big step forward with the B-21 Raider as it seeks to hasten delivery of the service’s next-generation stealth bomber fleet.
Manufacturer Northrop Grumman and the Air Force agreed to boost production capacity of the bomber by 25% using $4.5 billion in already approved funding, according to a service statement Monday.
The Raider represents a “generational leap” in dual nuclear and conventional stealth aircraft, designed to operate in the most contested environments, according to the Air Force.
It is expected to become the primary penetrating bomber in the U.S. inventory, gradually replacing the B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit.
“We are responsibly accelerating delivery of a critical, combat-effective capability,” Gen. Dale White, director of critical major weapon systems at the Pentagon, said in the statement.
The B-21, now in flight testing, is set to form the backbone of the Air Force’s future bomber fleet alongside upgraded B-52s. The first aircraft are slated to arrive at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., in 2027.
Airman 1st Class Timothy Cadigan, assigned to the 509th Security Forces Squadron out of Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., guards a B-2 Spirt stealth bomber in Oscoda, Mich., during a rare aircrew changeover outside the aircraft’s home base, Aug. 5, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
While the move speeds up delivery of planned aircraft, the Air Force did not announce changes to the program’s total planned fleet size.
It previously said it would buy at least 100 B-21s, though some military officials and analysts have advocated for a higher number amid the current geopolitical environment.
The push to accelerate B-21 production comes as military leaders emphasize the need to modernize the aging nuclear triad while preparing for large-scale conflict.
The triad refers to the three delivery systems for U.S. nuclear weapons: land-based missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and strategic bombers. The bomber leg has relied heavily on decades-old aircraft, including the B-52, first fielded during the Cold War.
Military leaders have repeatedly described the B-21 as central to maintaining credible deterrence in the coming decades, particularly as potential adversaries invest in advanced air defenses and long-range weapons.
Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and Dyess Air Force Base in Texas will be the second and third installations, respectively, to receive the B-21, the service said in 2024. An expected timeline for those deliveries has not been announced.
