U.S. Eyes Larger Fleet of B-21 Raider Bombers – Generals Signal Need for 145 Aircraft

The United States has signed a $4.5 billion contract to speed up production of its newest strategic bomber, the B-21 Raider, and to increase the total number of aircraft ordered.

Air & Space Forces reported on this.

According to the outlet, senior U.S. military leaders are now considering opening a second production line for the B-21 Raider.

The head of U.S. Strategic Command, Admiral Richard Correll, recently told lawmakers that his command still believes the planned B-21 fleet should be increased to 145 aircraft. One way to achieve this goal could be the opening of a second production line.

Under the current U.S. Air Force program, at least 100 B-21 aircraft are planned for production. They are to be built by Northrop Grumman at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. These bombers are expected to replace the aging B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets in the 2030s.

The first two B-21 aircraft are currently undergoing flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Delivery of the first Raider to Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota is expected in 2027.

Earlier, at the end of February, the U.S. Air Force announced that it had reached an agreement with Northrop Grumman to increase B-21 production capacity by 25%, using funding allocated last year under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Meanwhile, the statement does not specify when this expansion of production capacity will translate into an actual increase in aircraft output.

B-21 Raider

The B-21 Raider is the newest U.S. strategic stealth bomber, developed by Northrop Grumman.

The program officially began in 2011 under the name Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B). After a lengthy competition, on October 27, 2015, the Pentagon selected Northrop Grumman as the prime contractor for the project. By 2018, developers had completed a critical design review, paving the way for the construction of the first prototypes at Plant 42 in California.

The first aircraft was officially unveiled on December 2, 2022, marking the first public rollout of a new American bomber in three decades. On November 10, 2023, the aircraft with tail number ‘001’ conducted its maiden flight and was transferred to Edwards Air Force Base for further testing.

In January 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense signed a contract for initial low-rate production (LRIP), and in September 2025, a second production aircraft joined the flight test program.

The average cost of one aircraft is about $750 million in 2024 prices. Total costs for development, procurement, and operation of the fleet over 30 years are estimated at $203 billion. In March 2026, the budget request to support the program exceeded $10 billion, with part of the funds planned to be used to prepare a second assembly line.