The USAF FY26 budget request includes a $10.3 billion allocation for the Northrop Grumman B-21 RAIDER bomber to support ongoing development, initial low-rate production, and expansion of manufacturing capacity. This marks a significant shift after last year's project budget was reduced to less than $2 billion.

According to the official statement, USAF “is committed to the successful fielding of the B-21 and is investing in the infrastructure necessary to support an increased yearly production capacity,” ensuring “the long-term health and efficiency of the production line”. However, noting that details regarding specific production rates remain classified, it is not clear if that increased manufacturing will result in a higher total number of B-21s than planned, procure the bombers faster, or both.

Previous budgets have indicated that B-21 production, based on a buy of 100 airplanes, could terminate in the mid-to-late 2030s, which translatesto a production rate of only 7 or so airplanes per year. Northrop referred all questions about B-21 to the Air Force, which has not yet clarified whether the company could accommodate the additional production at its Plant 42 facilities in Palmdale, CA, simply with more tooling and workers, or whether a separate manufacturing site would have to be set up. Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. David Allvin, confirmed that the service is looking at a program of record of a minimum of 100 B-21s, but US Strategic Command Commander, Gen. Anthony Cotton, echoed by Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, now Head of Global Strike Command, have already stated that 100 is an “absolute minimum,” proposing 145 might be nearer the actual requirement.

The only new statement provided by the USAF in regard to the B-21 was delivered during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee by Gen. Allvin, he stated that the RAIDER “is manufactured differently” than other aircraft, “and so we want to ensure that, before we accelerate, we don’t want to be overly zealous without fully understanding what it might mean to accelerate beyond a certain production rate.” Former Air Force Secretary, Frank Kendall, reinforcing the service leadership decision, said the Air Force may need to shift its investments away from short-range fighters to long-range bombers in the future, noting the threats to forward bases and tankers from very long-range adversary weapon systems.

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