Air Force Plans to Set New Goal for B-21 Fleet Size in 2028 Budget

It’s Official: The U.S. Air Force Needs Far More Than 100 B-21 Raider Stealth Bombers

For years, analysts and even Air Force officials have argued that plans to procure 100 B-21 Raiders are insufficient, and that a fleet of 200 or more would be a safer bet as the United States prepares for future wars. Those calls now appear to be being taken seriously by the Pentagon, with reports now describing how the U.S. Air Force is preparing to formally revise the planned size of its B-21 Raider stealth bomber fleet. Senior officials are n…

Air Force Plans to Set New Goal for B-21 Fleet Size in 2028 Budget

There’s a growing consensus among experts, lawmakers, and Pentagon leaders that the Air Force should buy more than the planned minimum of 100 B-21 stealth bombers. Exactly how many more is a question USAF will likely answer in its 2028 budget request, the service’s top planner said May 13. That budget submission is expected in spring 2027. Calls to increase B-21 production have been around for several years now, but the idea has gained momentu…