The United States military utilizes some of the world’s most advanced aircraft and is currently pushing forward with new designs for those aircraft as well. That includes the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, the U.S. Air Force’s newest bomber. The USAF has sent production of the B-21 Raider into overdrive, with the goal of getting this new stealth strategic bomber into operation as soon as possible. In fact, the Air Force has already announced three bases that will get the Raider once it’s ready.

Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota, and Whiteman AFB in Missouri will all serve as the home to the new B-21. Ellsworth was the first base announced, followed by Whiteman and Dyess as the second and third approved locations for this new stealth bomber. The Raider is currently in production and undergoing flight testing before being cleared for operation. The USAF is planning to acquire 100 B-21 Raiders from Northrop Grumman overall.

The B-21 Raider, which is special compared to other jets due to its modular, future-proofed design specifications, was first unveiled to the public in December of 2022. It was developed under the Air Force’s Long Range Strike Bomber program, which began in 2011. The Raider was announced as a next-generation stealth bomber designed for both conventional and nuclear missions. The Air Force plans to use the new B-21 to help strengthen its long-range strike capability while also powering up its stealth bomber fleet.

The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is a sixth-generation bomber designed around long-range strike capability utilizing stealth technology. It combines fuel-efficient engines and a streamlined airframe, allowing it to fly over longer distances than other bombers. The Raider is also being developed with updated maintenance processes targeted on improving its long-term operation. All of these factors together are meant to reduce any potential issues that could affect the B-21’s overall lifecycle.

More than $5 billion has been invested in the B-21 program as of this writing. As production for the bomber ramps up, much of the progress is due to onboard software systems, which have cut certification timelines in half. Flight testing has also been consistent thus far, and we just got our first look at the B-21 Raider performing the risky maneuver of in-flight refueling. Additionally, some of the test runs have yielded no maintenance issues after the fact, which means the bomber was ready to go back out again.

Production of the B-21 Raider involves a manufacturing network of over 400 suppliers across 40 states in the U.S. This is in addition to increased industrial capacity, which is designed to support faster production, as well as long-term growth of the fleet overall. Meanwhile, the testing being done is meant to refine the bomber’s systems to ensure everything is ready to go. Because of the work being done behind the scenes, the B-21 is expected to enter U.S. military service by 2027.