A major federal funding boost is accelerating progress on the B‑21 Raider bomber program, keeping Ellsworth Air Force Base on track to receive the aircraft next year. According to the U.S. Air Force, President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” includes $4.5 billion to increase B‑21 production capacity by 25 percent.
Program leaders say the added funding reflects confidence in the aircraft’s development and the stability of the defense industrial base. The B‑21 is designed to replace the B‑1 and B‑2 bombers and will be capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear weapons.
Ellsworth will be the first base in the nation to receive the new stealth bomber, followed by Whiteman in Missouri and Dyess in Texas. State officials say Ellsworth’s remote interior location makes it strategically valuable for national security.
More than $2 billion in construction is already underway at the base to prepare for the aircraft and the expanded personnel expected to support it. Projects include runway reconstruction, new hangars, a weapons generation facility, mission‑planning buildings, and simulator training facilities.
The Air Force says the B‑21 remains on schedule to be “on the ramp” at Ellsworth in 2027.
