B-21 bomber, F-47 next-generation fighter ahead of schedule, top Air Force general says

Work on the B-21 Raider bomber and the F-47 sixth-generation fighter are ahead of schedule, the Air Force general in charge of development of both projects said last week.

Gen. Dale White, director of Critical Major Weapon Systems, spoke July 29 at the Life Cycle Industry Days in Dayton, Ohio.

White said that the B-21 stealth bomber, currently undergoing advanced flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, would join an operational squadron next year.

The first of what the U.S. Air Force hopes will one day be a force of 100 B-21 bombers will be “on the ramp” at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota in 2027, White said.

The bomber first flew at Edwards in November 2023 and the second in September 2025. Plans call for Northrop Grumman to produce seven operational bombers per year, White said.

White said the 2027 date for delivering an operational bomber to a squadron was in reach because the acquisition program had accelerated by 25% because of a $4.5 billion one-time funding for the bomber under the 2025 reconciliation bill.

White said the bomber program’s increase in productivity was “physical proof our warfighting-focused acquisition mindset can and will work.”

The Pentagon’s record-breaking $1.5 trillion defense budget request includes $6.1 billion for the B-21 program in 2027.

The B-21 is intended to eventually replace the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit in the Air Force inventory. The B-52 Stratofortress is being modernized with new engines, avionics and equipment to serve as the second manned bomber in the force into mid-century.

The Air Force plans to acquire 185 of the Boeing-built F-47 fighter jets with a first flight scheduled for 2028. It will replace the F-22 Raptor as the Air Force’s main interceptor and air superiority fighter. (U.S. Air Force)

White also said planning for the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter was in a state of “unprecedented maturity.”

“The F-47 will fly in this administration,” White said in his speech.

The Air Force plans to acquire 185 of the Boeing-built jets with a first flight scheduled for 2028. It will replace the F-22 Raptor as the Air Force’s main interceptor and air superiority fighter.

The Air Force has requested $5.03 billion for the F-47 program in its 2027 budget request.

The new fighter is expected to include the capacity to operate with Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), known as unmanned “loyal wingman” drones that can perform autonomous offensive and defensive roles for the new jet.