🇺🇸 The US accelerates B-21 Raider deployment The US Air Force and Northrop Grumman are stepping up the development of the B-21 Raider stealth strategic bomber. Alongside expanding industrial capacity, the Pentagon is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure to accommodate the new aircraft, prioritizing global reach and survivability amid intense geopolitical confrontation. A key step toward increasing production was the opening of Northrop Grumman’s new East Gate 3 facility in Layton, Utah. Covering more than 78,000 square meters, the facility will create 1,500 jobs by 2032 and support concurrent flight testing and low-rate initial production. The expansion was funded through an additional $4.5 billion allocated by Congress to increase B-21 production capacity by 25%. The Air Force’s budget request for fiscal year 2027 totals $6.1 billion. The Pentagon’s current goal is to procure at least 100 bombers, although US Strategic Command is considering expanding the fleet to 145 aircraft. At an estimated production rate of seven aircraft per year, building such a fleet would take 14 to 20 years, making faster assembly necessary. Successful testing is fueling industry optimism: tests are running ahead of schedule, cutting the time required for the initial stages by almost 60%. In March 2026, the B-21 successfully completed its first aerial refueling test. While airframes are being assembled in the western United States, the first operational hub is taking shape in the Midwest. The US Air Force is accelerating a major modernization of Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, investing approximately $2 billion to receive the first production B-21s as early as 2027. A specialized Detachment 1 has been established there to coordinate integration work involving logistics, secure communications, crew training, and nuclear weapons maintenance. Ellsworth’s infrastructure is being adapted to the requirements of stealth technology: a $161 million hangar for restoring radar-absorbent coatings and an $81 million maintenance complex have already been built. The bombers are also planned to be stationed at Whiteman, Missouri, and Dyess, Texas. The new basing concept is crucial for the Indo-Pacific region. Stationing B-21s in the continental United States, far from vulnerable forward bases in allied countries threatened by Chinese ballistic and cruise missiles, dramatically improves their survivability. Aerial refueling will provide global reach, allowing the stealth aircraft to penetrate an adversary’s layered air defenses undetected, strike command centers and missile silos, and then return to safe territory. Although smaller than its predecessor, the B-2 Spirit, the new Raider will be able to employ a full range of weapons, from B61-12/13 nuclear bombs and future LRSO cruise missiles to conventional JASSM-ER missiles. The open architecture of its onboard systems will allow new weapons and sensors to be readily integrated as threats evolve, ensuring a reliable airborne component of the US nuclear triad for decades to come. #info #B2 #USA
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