The US Air Force and Northrop Grumman have reached an agreement to increase the annual production rate of B-21 Raider stealth bombers by 25%
Announced at the 2026 Air & Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium on 23 February, the $4.5 billion deal will compress the delivery timeline for the next-generation flying wing jet, of which the USAF plans to acquire at least 100.
“This decision reflects our confidence in the program’s performance and the stability of the industrial base,” says General Dale White, director of critical major weapon systems for the air force.
“By increasing production capacity now, we are responsibly accelerating delivery of a critical, combat-effective capability to the war fighter,” he adds.
The USAF is not disclosing a actual production target figure for annual B-21 deliveries. The new strategic bomber is currently in flight testing, with at least two examples known to be flying from Edwards AFB in California.
The service says it expects to field operational B-21s in 2027, with the first examples going to Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota.
Northrop says work on that aircraft has already begun at the company’s B-21 final assembly facility in Palmdale, California.
“We have delivered continued outstanding performance on B-21 in ground and flight test, in partnership with the air force,” says Tom Jones, president of Northrop’s aeronautics division.
Fielding the new stealth bomber is a top priority for the Pentagon, which has only a small fleet of 20 Northrop Grumman B-2s – the Western world’s only low-observable, nuclear-capable heavy bomber.
That fleet played a central role in 2025’s Operation Midnight Hammer – the US operation to destroy Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment sites.
“The B-21 is foundational to our long-range strike capability and to credible deterrence,” says secretary of the air force Troy Meink, the service’s top civilian official.
“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,” he adds.
Northrop has previously revealed that it was in talks with the air force over accelerating the B-21 programme, funding for which was included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” budget reconciliation spending act passed by Congress and signed by US President Donald Trump in 2025.
The acceleration of production and deliveries does not mean that the USAF now plans to expand its B-21 buy beyond 100 aircraft – a move which has previously been suggested as a possibility by service officials and advocated for by certain industry groups.
“That would be a separate discussion,” Northrop chief executive Kathy Warden said in October.
