- The United States Air Force and Northrop Grumman are accelerating B-21 Raider production as the stealth bomber advances through testing and manufacturing ahead of its planned 2027 operational delivery.
- Expanded digital engineering and manufacturing investments are enabling faster production and testing cycles aimed at fielding a next-generation long-range strike capability sooner.
The United States Air Force and Northrop Grumman are accelerating production capacity for the B-21 Raider stealth bomber as the aircraft advances through testing and early manufacturing, the company announced in February 2026.
Final assembly of the next-generation bomber is underway at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Palmdale, California, with the first operational aircraft scheduled to arrive at Ellsworth Air Force Base in 2027.
The acceleration effort reflects the Air Force’s push to field a survivable long-range strike platform capable of operating against modern air defense systems. Officials say expanding production capacity is intended to shorten the timeline between testing and operational deployment while maintaining verification and flight test requirements.
“The strong performance of the B-21 program has our Northrop Grumman and Air Force team ready to accelerate production of this game-changing capability for our nation,” said Kathy Warden, chair, chief executive officer and president of Northrop Grumman. “Northrop Grumman has invested more than $5 billion in digital engineering and manufacturing infrastructure, and we are ready to produce B-21 faster.”
According to Northrop Grumman, multiple B-21 Raider aircraft are currently progressing through production and flight testing. The program expanded its test fleet during 2025, allowing engineers and operators to increase flight frequency and collect operational data at a faster pace. The company said aircraft performance during testing has exceeded expectations generated by digital modeling used during development.
“Getting the B-21 Raider into the hands of our Air Force operators and maintainers is the mission of thousands of dedicated Northrop Grumman team members,” said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. “We have delivered continued outstanding performance on B-21 in ground and flight test, in partnership with the Air Force. Northrop Grumman has designed and built the world’s most advanced stealth bomber, securing American air power far into the future.”
As noted by the company, a digital engineering environment supports flight test planning and real-time analysis of aircraft performance data. This system enables the Combined Test Force — composed of Northrop Grumman and Air Force personnel — to prepare aircraft for another test flight as soon as the following day, an indicator of expected operational availability once the bomber enters service.
The B-21 Raider is designed as a sixth-generation stealth bomber incorporating advanced low-observable technologies derived from decades of operational experience. Its design is intended to allow penetration of sophisticated air defense networks while reducing maintenance complexity compared with earlier stealth platforms. Northrop Grumman said modernized stealth manufacturing processes are expected to improve readiness and lower sustainment demands over the aircraft’s lifecycle.
The aircraft is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear payloads, forming a central element of the United States’ strategic deterrence posture. Its open-architecture design allows upgrades to sensors, software, and weapons systems without major structural modification, enabling continued modernization as threats evolve.
Northrop Grumman stated that more than 8,000 personnel across industry and the Air Force are supporting the program, alongside more than 400 suppliers located in 40 U.S. states. The company has invested over $5 billion in digital engineering tools, advanced manufacturing infrastructure, and software environments supporting production scaling. According to the announcement, digital processes have reduced software certification timelines by approximately 50 percent.
Advanced manufacturing technologies, including augmented-reality visualization tools, allow technicians to simulate assembly procedures and coordinate directly with engineers before work begins on the aircraft. The company said this approach improves production efficiency and supports increased manufacturing throughput as production rates rise.
The B-21 is also intended to operate as part of a broader family of systems integrating sensors, data networks, and weapons across joint forces. Training, sustainment, and fleet-management systems are being developed in parallel to ensure crews and maintainers can operate the aircraft immediately upon delivery.
Recent political statements have also drawn attention to future bomber procurement. President Donald Trump stated that he had approved an order for 28 updated B-2 bombers, remarks widely interpreted by defense observers as referring instead to planned procurement of additional B-21 Raider aircraft rather than upgrades to the aging B-2 Spirit fleet. The United States Air Force has not publicly confirmed details corresponding to a new B-2 acquisition, while the B-21 remains the service’s primary modernization program for long-range stealth strike capability. Northrop Grumman continues conducting midlife overhauls on the Air Force’s remaining fleet of 19 B-2 Spirit bombers as the transition to the B-21 progresses.
The Raider is named in honor of the World War II Doolittle Raid, when Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle led 80 airmen flying B-25 Mitchell bombers in a mission that demonstrated the strategic value of long-range airpower. The naming reflects the program’s focus on extending U.S. global strike capability into future operational environments.