The US military has officially confirmed that in fiscal year 2026, the US Air Force will receive the first two B-21 Raider strategic bombers, new stealth aircraft designed to form the basis of the country's nuclear triad potential in the coming decades.
These vehicles will arrive in the so-called "test configuration", that is, they will not be fully operational immediately. But at the same time, they will meet all production standards and will be able to be quickly put into combat mode — for example, by removing unnecessary equipment such as a test nose beam.
Production of the B-21 will take place at the Northrop Grumman plant in Palmdale, California, which is one of the most closed and technologically advanced aerospace plants in the United States.
The budget for 2026 allocated 10.3 billion dollars to expand production and accelerate the release of the B-21, of which about 4.5 billion will be spent on increasing the production of these aircraft.
Currently, it is planned to produce 7-8 bombers per year, and the total number of ordered vehicles may range from 100 to 145 units. It depends on how events develop and how quickly production can be established.
The first B-21s will provide partial combat readiness, and full-scale mass deployment will begin in the following years. This is important because the B-21 is not just an upgrade, but a qualitatively new aircraft capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons, while remaining virtually invisible to radar.
So we can say that the era of new strategic bombers begins next year, and the B—21 Raider will become its symbol.
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| B—21 Raider |
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