Key Points and Summary on B-21 Raider – The US Air Force is accelerating production of its next-generation B-21 Raider, with plans for two of the stealth bombers to be flying by 2026.
-These initial test aircraft can be quickly configured for combat if necessary, a move that underscores the urgency of fielding the new platform.
-With over $10 billion allocated in the 2026 budget, the Air Force is investing heavily to build a fleet of at least 100 B-21s to replace aging bombers and counter rising threats from peer adversaries like China, though some analysts argue for an even larger fleet.
B-21 Raider: America’s New ‘Super’ Bomber Could Be Ready for War in 2026
A production expansion is on the way for the B-21 Raider bomber, with two of the jets likely to fly in 2026.
And while those jets will be used for testing, they can be “quickly configured for combat operations if necessary,” meaning that it could be included in combat missions as soon as next year.
That’s according to a report this week from Air and Space Forces magazine.
A production increase is on the way for the B-21 bomber, which is being funded by the recently passed reconciliation bill.
The increase will be done at Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale, Calif., plant, the Air Force confirmed to the magazine, adding that some “Tier 1 suppliers” are also involved in the production effort.
The Air Force is “committed to the successful fielding of the B-21 and is investing in the infrastructure necessary to support an increased yearly production capacity,” the Air Force has said in the past about the B-21 bomber, per the news outlet.
Per DefenceIndustry.eu, the U.S. budget “ allocates $10.3 billion to the B-21 programme, including $4.5 billion to support increased production.”
More Expansion Needed?
Last month, Robert Peters and Shawn Barnes wrote for RealClearDefense about what they described as the need to double production of the B-21.
Per their op-ed, while the Air Force has said that it “expects to procure 10 aircraft per year once in full-rate production,” it would be preferable if they could have twice that.
“The nation needs a second production facility for the B-21, regardless of the final number of aircraft to be procured. The Defense Department should set a production rate of 20 aircraft per year. This demand signal will allow the B-21’s producer, Northrop Grumman, to build a second production plant. Although the cost of building a second facility is likely to approach $800M, the return on investment is extraordinarily high,” the authors wrote, citing the possibility of selling the jets to other countries, as well as the need to deter China.
“We must procure the number of aircraft we need, not the number that fits under some arbitrary budget topline. The Air Force has an unfortunate history of taking the opposite approach, albeit by the direction of their political masters. The F-22 Raptor and B-2 Spirit are prime examples of programs curtailed by budgetary constraints rather than strategic necessity.”
Peters is a senior research fellow for Strategic Deterrence in The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security, while Barnes is a visiting fellow there too.
Losing Money, For Now
Back in April, Defense News, which cited Northrop’s earnings release, reported that the company had lost $477 million on the B-21 Raider in the first quarter of 2025, citing “higher manufacturing and materials costs.” The CEO has said in the past that the company “would likely initially lose money on the program and turn a profit later.”
“While I’m disappointed with this financial impact, we continue to make solid progress on the [B-21] program, demonstrating performance objectives through tests, and we are progressing through the first two lots of production,” Northrop CEO Kathy Warden said on the call, per Defense News. “With significant learning behind us, we are ready to deliver [to] the Air Force this highly capable strategic deterrent.”
The B-21 is on the way, even as one of the jets it is meant to replace, the B-2, had a recent moment of triumph in the U.S. strikes on Iran that may or may not have “obliterated” that country’s nuclear program.
Maj. Gen. Jason R. Armagost said in an interview in late December that there is currently no “set timeline” on retiring the B-1 and B-2 bombers.
“It’s conditions-based on how we retire platforms. And so those conditions can change day-to-day, moment-to-moment, but I think there’s a very good plan for how we on-board the new, and we will not off-board the old just on a specific date. It will be conditions-based,” he said.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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