From 19 B-2 Spirits To 145 B-21 Raiders: How Much Bigger America’s Stealth Bomber Fleet Is About To Get

For decades, the United States Air Force has operated one of the most powerful, yet surprisingly small, strategic bomber fleets on the planet — and that is about to change dramatically. The stealth bomber force is expected to grow from 19 Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit bombers to as many as 145 Northrop Grumman B-21 Raiders, with the first operational aircraft scheduled for 2027 at Ellsworth Air Force Base and billions now flowing into increased production capacity.