Air Force Speeds B-21 by 25%, Targets First 2027 Delivery as F-47 Also Runs Ahead
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 4
Air Force Speeds B-21 by 25%, Targets First 2027 Delivery as F-47 Also Runs Ahead
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 4
Summary
2027 is now the target for the first operational B-21 Raider to arrive at Ellsworth Air Force Base, with the Air Force saying the stealth bomber program is ahead of schedule.
A one-time $4.5 billion boost in the 2025 reconciliation bill accelerated B-21 acquisition by roughly 25%, Gen. Dale White said at an Air Force conference in Dayton, Ohio.
Northrop Grumman plans to build seven operational B-21s annually, and the Pentagon requested $6.1 billion for the bomber in its fiscal 2027 budget while aiming to buy at least 100.
The Boeing-built F-47 fighter is also progressing faster than expected, with planning at "unprecedented maturity," a first flight set for 2028, and a planned fleet of 185 jets.
Both programs are central to the Air Force's next-generation strike and air-superiority plans, with the B-21 replacing B-1s and B-2s and the F-47 set to succeed the F-22.