US B-21 stealth bomber program stays on budget as Air Force selects two‑pilot crew

The United States Air Force has decided that its new stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, will be operated by two pilots rather than the previously suggested one pilot and a weapons system officer. Test flights are already under way and the aircraft are slated for deployment to Ellsworth Air Force Base by 2027.

The B-21 program is projected to cost about $203 billion for development, operations and a fleet of at least 100 aircraft, with an acquisition price of roughly $550 million per plane. A fixed‑price contract transferred financial risk to Northrop Grumman, which has absorbed more than $2 billion in losses to keep the program within its 2010 budget targets, marking a rare cost‑controlled outcome for a major U.S. defense acquisition.

The program’s disciplined budgeting and the crew‑size decision together signal a focus on limiting expenses while maintaining the bomber’s strategic capabilities.