The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman broke ground on a new assembly line for the production of B-21 Raiders last month.
The over one-million-square-foot facility in Palmdale, California, is set to be the final assembly line at Air Force Plant 42, according to a Thursday release. The facility will support the B-21 Raider’s production as the force previously announced the accelerated delivery timeline for the next-generation stealth bomber fleet.
“It’s more than construction … we’re moving fast to build B-21s!” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in a social media post following the groundbreaking.
The service and defense company agreed to increase annual production capacity by 25% while keeping cost, schedule and performance in mind.
The deal uses $4.5 billion in already authorized funding under fiscal year 2025 reconciliation legislation, with the first operational aircraft on track for delivery to Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in 2027.
“This groundbreaking represents more than construction; it represents a sustained commitment to delivering the capability our nation needs at the speed the security environment demands,” Director of Critical Major Weapon Systems and Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager Gen. Dale White said in the release.
“The B-21 Raider is foundational to the Air Force’s future long-range strike capability, and this investment strengthens the industrial capacity required to field that capability faster,” he continued.
The acquisition portfolio of the B-21s is a minimum of 100 aircraft, and the accelerated production builds on the program’s performance to shorten delivery timelines for the fleet, the release says.
B-21s are meant to replace the aging B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets over the coming decades. The aircraft took its first flight test in 2023 and are still in the flight testing stage. They are expected to fly with a two-pilot configuration to best first their mission profile.
“The B-21 team has established the foundation to accelerate production responsibly,” Col. Nicholas Jordan, B-21 Systems program director, Rapid Capabilities Office, said in the release. “This investment in Palmdale will provide the infrastructure, workforce and manufacturing capacity needed to deliver the Raider to the Air Force at an increased rate.”
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
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