Air Force Accelerates Delivery of Next-Generation B-21 Stealth Bomber and F-47 Fighter

Two of the Pentagon’s most ambitious weapons programs are progressing faster than originally anticipated, according to remarks made by Gen. Dale White, director of Critical Major Weapon Systems, at the Air Force’s Life Cycle Industry Days conference held in Dayton, Ohio. The B-21 Raider stealth bomber is now expected to reach Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota for operational deployment in 2027, while development of the sixth-generation F-47 fighter has also exceeded timeline expectations.

A $4.5 billion injection included in the 2025 reconciliation bill has propelled the B-21 program forward by approximately 25 percent, White stated. Northrop Grumman, the aircraft’s manufacturer, plans to ramp production to seven operational bombers annually once full-rate manufacturing begins. The Pentagon’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal includes $6.1 billion for the B-21 initiative.

The B-21 is engineered to deliver both conventional and nuclear payloads while evading sophisticated air defense systems. The Air Force intends to procure at least 100 of the aircraft, which will ultimately succeed the aging B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers while complementing upgraded B-52 Stratofortress variants expected to remain operational through mid-century.

The F-47 program, built by Boeing, has achieved what White characterized as “unprecedented maturity” in its planning phase. The Air Force plans to order 185 of the sixth-generation fighters, with the maiden flight scheduled for 2028. The F-47 will serve as the primary air superiority platform, replacing the F-22 Raptor and working alongside autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft drones designed to augment crewed fighter operations. The Pentagon requested $5.03 billion for the F-47 in its fiscal year 2027 budget request.