Key Points and Summary – The Air Force says a second B-21 Raider will fly “soon,” as test tempo on the first jet—reportedly up to twice weekly—builds toward potential combat readiness as early as 2026.
-FY26 budgeting adds $10.3B to sustain development and accelerate manufacturing, and Northrop says a second LRIP award followed the first within a year.
-Analysts peg output around seven B-21s per year. Falling costs for the first lot of five—down from $19.1B (2023) to $13.8B (2025)—fuel talk of a bigger buy, though what drove the savings remains unclear. The service’s aim, leaders say, is not just stealth, but fielding a true campaign force at scale.
Second B-21 Raider Will Fly “Soon” – And More Are Coming
A second B-21 Raider will fly soon, and reports suggest the successor to the B-2 Spirit could be ready for combat as soon as 2026.
During an interview in July, Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, the head of Air Force Global Strike Command, confirmed that a second B-21 is expected to fly in the near future, building on the successes of the first example that first flew in November, 2023. Reports also confirmed that the first B-21 aircraft is being flown as often as two times per week.
“We should see the second developmental test bird fly shortly,” Bussiere said on July 25.
The announcement came as the program to replace the United States’ most recognizable stealth aircraft receives additional funding to ramp up production.
In July, $10.3 billion was set aside in the fiscal year 2026 budget to continue development on the project and accelerate manufacturing.
The news could indicate that plans outlined in previous budgets, including the procurement of 100 B-21 aircraft by the mid-to-late 2030s, may be subject to change.
The U.S. Air Force has not confirmed whether additional resources earmarked for the project in the most recent budget will be used to purchase additional aircraft, or simply ensure that the program delivers the aircraft more quickly.
There have, however, been some indications of how the Air Force plans to proceed. In January, B-21 manufacturer Northrop Grumman confirmed that preliminary talks with the Air Force focused on the possibility of increasing the rate of production. Roughly one year after the first Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract for the B-21 was confirmed, Northrop confirmed that a second LRIP was awarded in 2024.
Analysts expect an annual production of seven B-21 stealth bombers per year.
Falling Costs Could Mean More B-21s
Speculation about increased B-21 production has been fuelled in part by falling costs. Last year’s budget revealed that spending for the production of the first lot of five Raiders had dropped substantially, from $19.1 billion in 2023 to $13.8 billion in 2025.
That 28 percent reduction – amounting to roughly $5.1 billion – means the Air Force expects to purchase the same number of aircraft at a fraction of the anticipated cost.
That reduction in cost has prompted speculation about whether savings might be redirected into boosting output during the LRIP phase. Northrop CEO Kathy Warden said in 2024 that the Air Force would be wise to pursue a larger fleet, potentially adding dozens more B-21s to the initial production phase , while former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall also signaled that an accelerated buy was on the table if funds permitted.
For now, though, it remains unclear how much of the cost reduction is attributable to renegotiated unit costs and how much stems from other budget adjustments.
During an August conversation hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Air Force Major General Jason Armagost said that the planned size of the B-21 fleet is one of the most promising features of the rollout.
“That’s what I’m most excited about,” he said. “Sixth-generation stealth brings with it…its own set of pretty amazing capabilities, but what I’m most excited about is the ability to build a campaign force.”
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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