# Long Range Strike - Bomber — Program Element 0604015F

**Program element:** 0604015F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 4 — Advanced Component Development & Prototypes  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604015F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force requests $2.86B in FY2027 — the program's peak, before stepping down 74% across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House funded it in full; the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators cut 0.6% (to $2.84B).

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 2,565.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 2,729.5 |
| FY2027 | Request | 2,862.7 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 2,291.1 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 1,677.2 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 764.9 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 735.8 |

> Estimate types are not summed — the profile mixes actuals, enacted law, the request, and outyear projections.

## Congressional marks (FY2027)

| Stage | Marked ($M) | Change ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| Request | 2,862.7 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 2,862.7 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 2,862.7 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 2,844.6 | −18.0 |

> FY2027 NDAA authorization marks, as of 2026-07-27. Not appropriations or final law.

## Projects (2)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 643308 | B-21 Development | 2,305.3 | 2,083.4 | 1,761.3 | −15% |
| 644044 | B-21 Modernization | 260.3 | 646.2 | 1,101.4 | +70% |

> Projects are the summable leaves: the program element total is their sum, never added to it.

### Project 643308 — B-21 Development

This program is reported in accordance with Title 10, United States Code, Section 119(a)(1) in the Special Access Program Annual Report to Congress. Program overview provided below. The Long Range Strike - Bomber (B-21 Raider) is crucial to the nuclear modernization plan, forming the backbone of the Nation's future bomber force, providing both conventional and nuclear capability. The B-21 platform provides range, access, and payload to go anywhere needed, with the weapons required to deter and win our nation's wars. Its open system architecture will enable rapid integration of future capabilities, keeping the platform relevant and effective as the threat environment evolves. The Air Force requires a minimum of 100 B-21s as part of the long-term bomber force. The Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract was awarded in 2015, followed by a Critical Design Review (CDR) completed in 2018. Test aircraft are executing the B-21 flight test campaign and an approved Milestone C decision with all statutory and regulatory documentation was completed in 2023. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Range Strike Bomber (B-21) Development | 2,305.3 | 2,083.4 | 1,761.3 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project 644044 — B-21 Modernization

This program is reported in accordance with Title 10, United States Code, Section 119(a)(1) in the Special Access Program Annual Report to Congress. Program overview provided below. The Long Range Strike - Bomber (B-21 Raider) is crucial to the nuclear modernization plan, forming the backbone of the Nation's future bomber force, providing both conventional and nuclear capability. The B-21 platform provides range, access, and payload to go anywhere needed, with the weapons required to deter and win our nation's wars. Its open system architecture will enable rapid integration of future capabilities, keeping the platform relevant and effective as the threat environment evolves. The Air Force requires a minimum of 100 B-21s as part of the long-term bomber force. The Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract was awarded in 2015, followed by a Critical Design Review (CDR) completed in 2018. Test aircraft are executing the B-21 flight test campaign and an approved Milestone C decision with all statutory and regulatory documentation was completed in 2023. Modernization BPAC for tracking separately from EMD funding line was created in 2024.

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Range Strike Bomber (B-21) Modernization | 260.3 | 646.2 | 1,101.4 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

## Where the FY2027 request goes

| Category | Share | $M |
|---|---|---|
| Other / unspecified | 100% | 2,862.7 |

> R-3 exhibit contract funding, not USAspending obligations.

## Mission & acquisition strategy

This program is reported in accordance with Title 10, United States Code, Section 119(a)(1) in the Special Access Program Annual Report to Congress. Program overview provided below. The Long Range Strike - Bomber (B-21 Raider) is crucial to the nuclear modernization plan, forming the backbone of the Nation's future bomber force, providing both conventional and nuclear capability. The B-21 platform provides range, access, and payload to go anywhere needed, with the weapons required to deter and win our nation's wars. Its open system architecture will enable rapid integration of future capabilities, keeping the platform relevant and effective as the threat environment evolves.

The B-21 philosophy to drive success has been to actively manage the program, contract and contractor; to partner with the prime and supply chain for win-win successes; and to aggressively identify and mitigate risk early. The acquisition strategy incentivizes industry partners to achieve cost, schedule and performance objectives.

## Related program elements

- [0101126F — B-1B Squadrons](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0101126F) (Air Force)
- [0603055D8Z — Operational Energy Capability Improvement](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603055D8Z) (Defense-Wide)
- [0603382N — Advanced Combat Systems Tech](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603382N) (Navy)
- [0605502S — Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0605502S) (Defense-Wide)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0604015F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604015F")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*