The Department of the Air Force and Northrop Grumman broke ground Sept. 29 on a new B-21 Raider final assembly line at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.
The project kicks off over one million new square feet of facilities meant to expand production capacity for the stealth bomber.
Room to Ramp Up:
The groundbreaking supports a production capacity expansion announced earlier this year. Under the agreement between the Air Force and Northrop Grumman:
Annual B-21 production capacity will increase by 25%
Cost, schedule, and performance remain the focus
Cash Already on Hand: The Air Force is applying $4.5 billion previously authorized and appropriated under fiscal year 2025 reconciliation legislation.
That money is about pace. It will accelerate production of the approved acquisition profile of 100 aircraft and compress delivery timelines for the fleet.
Brass on the Build: Gen. Dale White, director of Critical Major Weapon Systems for the Department of War, said the groundbreaking “represents more than construction.”
Col. Nicholas Jordan, B-21 Systems program director at the Rapid Capabilities Office, said the Palmdale investment will provide “the infrastructure, workforce and manufacturing capacity” needed to deliver the Raider at an increased rate.
Next Stop, South Dakota: The B-21 is currently in flight test, and the program remains on track to have aircraft on the ramp at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in 2027.
The bombers are already flying. Now Palmdale has started on the space to build them faster.
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