The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman have agreed to increase production capacity for the B-21 Raider stealth bomber by 25%, speeding up delivery of the service’s next-generation long-range strike platform, the service announced in a Feb. 23 release.
The deal applies $4.5 billion in funding previously authorized and appropriated under fiscal year 2025 reconciliation legislation, commonly known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
The move accelerates the approved acquisition profile by increasing annual production capacity by 25%, compressing delivery timelines while maintaining cost and performance discipline.
The B-21 Raider, built by Northrop Grumman, is currently in low-rate initial production, which began following a contract award in January 2024.
Aircraft deliveries began on schedule in 2025, with the first operational aircraft on track to arrive at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in 2027, according to the release.
“The B-21 is foundational to our long-range strike capability and to credible deterrence,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in the release. “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 program’s baseline acquisition profile has called for a gradual ramp-up in production, with an eventual full production rate of around seven aircraft per year, according to previously published estimates.
The total planned procurement remains classified, though the Air Force has long targeted at least 100 aircraft to replace the aging B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets over the coming decades.
“This is what disciplined acquisition delivers,” Gen. Dale R. White, director of Critical Major Weapon Systems and direct reporting portfolio manager to the deputy defense secretary, said in the release. “This decision reflects our confidence in the program’s performance and the stability of the industrial base. By increasing production capacity now, we are responsibly accelerating delivery of a critical, combat-effective capability 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 advantages in complex battlespaces.
The production expansion aligns with broader Defense Department efforts under Secretary Pete Hegseth to accelerate acquisition and field next-generation capabilities rapidly amid evolving threats.
No new production rate or total fleet numbers were disclosed beyond the 25% capacity increase.
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