# Project 644044 — B-21 Modernization

**Program element:** 0604015F — Long Range Strike - Bomber  
**Project:** 644044  
**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/644044  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604015F

## Summary

Project 644044 — B-21 Modernization requests $1.10B in FY2027, 38% of the $2.86B requested for program element 0604015F, up 70% on FY2026. 1 R-2A activity decomposes the request.

**Markets:** Nuclear Modernization — matched on the project title only, and no market size is quoted.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 260.3 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 646.2 |
| FY2027 | Request | 1,101.4 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 956.7 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 900.2 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 698.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 735.6 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0604015F; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 644044 buys

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.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development.

## Activities (R-2A) — 1

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Range Strike Bomber (B-21) Modernization | 260.3 | 646.2 | 1,101.4 | +70% | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604015F/644044/a0) |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Long Range Strike Bomber (B-21) Modernization

FY 2027 includes funding for the continuation of modernization studies/ technical risk reduction activities. In addition, modernization activities will be supported, which includes but is not limited to, weapons integration/certification, air vehicle provisioning for future capabilities, sensors, and payloads.

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604015F/644044/a0

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604015F.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0604015F project 644044 (PB PB2027).
- **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.*