Northrop Grumman is investing $2.5 billion of its own funds to accelerate production of the B-21 Raider stealth bombers.
Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden announced this during the company’s earnings call, according to Breaking Defense.
In 2026 alone, the company will allocate $200 million to implement these plans.
These measures result from an agreement with the US Air Force to increase the aircraft production rate by 25%. The investment will help improve the program’s long-term economics and create the potential to expand the overall order.
The company will spend the bulk of the $2.5 billion on expanding and modernizing production facilities. The largest portion of funding is planned for the period from 2027 to 2029.
Due to the new B-21 agreement, the corporation has revised its capital expenditures for the current year to $1.85 billion. These funds will enable faster implementation of technological solutions to scale up serial production of the aircraft.
The Air Force also plans to secure $4.5 billion in additional funding to support the accelerated pace of work. Currently, the Air Force is considering increasing the purchase volume from 100 to 145 bombers.
The cost of a single B-21 currently hovers around $700 million per unit. Although the parties are not disclosing the exact new price per aircraft, Katie Warden emphasized more favorable economic terms for both the government and the manufacturer.
The company remains on schedule to deliver the first aircraft to Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. The military expects to receive the first unit of the new bomber as early as 2027.
In November 2023, the B-21 Raider strategic bomber made its first flight.
Five more bombers were in various stages of production at the Northrop Grumman plant.
They are intended to replace the B-2 Spirit and B-1B Lancer strategic bombers.
