The Air Force remains all in when it comes to producing the B-21 Raider bombers.
As the risks of a full-blown conflict in the South China Sea continue to rise, the US military is gearing up its next-generation programs in order to retain an edge over China. From destroyers and aircraft carriers to fighter jets and stealth bombers, sixth-generation designs are being prioritized across the board. To fulfill the Air Force’s long-range bombing needs, the B-21 “Raider” may be the service’s most critical investment. The Northrop Grumman-designed intercontinental stealth strategic bomber, named to honor the Doolittle Raiders of World War II, will replace the aging B-1 Lancers and B-2 Spirits by 2040. This futuristic platform should serve as a deterrent to Beijing; however, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force is working to field its own sixth-gen bomber counterpart as well.
Considering the Raider’s unmatched specs and capabilities, the price tag to build this bomber is hefty and increasing. In April, Northrop Grumman reported a whopping $477 million loss in quarter one of 2025. Citing rising costs associated with materials and other resources, the manufacturer noted that this huge monetary deficit largely stems from a change in the Raider production process. In order for Northrop to field B-21s at a faster rate, initial budgetary setbacks are inevitable. According to CEO Kathy Warden, “While I’m disappointed with this financial impact, we continue to make solid progress on the [B-21] program, demonstrating performance objectives through tests, and we are progressing through the first two lots of production,” adding that “With significant learning behind us, we are ready to deliver [to] the Air Force this highly capable strategic deterrent.”
Is The B-21 Raider Worth the Price?
Despite rising costs, the Air Force remains all in when it comes to producing the Raider bombers. All the specific details and specs surrounding the platform remain highly classified, but published renderings and hints provided by Northrop and the service indicate the B-21 will truly be unparalleled when introduced down the line. Designed to be able to carry out the Air Force’s conventional Long Range Strike mission sets, the Raider will also serve in electronic attack, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and other roles. Perhaps the greatest attribute that the B-21 will feature is stealth. According to reports, the Raider’s wingspan appears to be shorter than previous American bombers based on images and renderings available. A smaller wingspan would serve as a critical advantage for the next-gen aircraft since this would make it much more difficult for adversarial radars to detect.
In February, Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican representing Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, posted on X that the Raider program was actually ahead of schedule. “It (The Raider) will be a game changer for USAF for decades,” the representative added. While the B-21 will certainly surpass its predecessors in terms of capability, it will have to outpace whatever Beijing is incorporating into its own sixth-gen H-20 “Xi’an” stealth bomber program.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
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