<p><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/6001b006dd0659001a8b73b3-2000/210111-F-AF000-1416.jpeg" border="0" alt="Air Force B-21 Raider bomber" data-mce-source="US Air Force graphic courtesy of Burns & McDonnell" data-mce-caption="An artist's renderings of the future B-21 Main Operating Base, with a B-2 Spirit standing in for the B-21 Raider."></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>The US <a href="http://www.military.com/air-force" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Air Force</a> held a virtual B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber industry day this week to discuss construction projects to house the new stealth bomber, known as the Raider, according <a href="https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2468067/air-force-participates-in-b-21-beddown-construction-industry-day/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to a release</a>.</p><p>The Air Force Civil Engineering Center and US <a href="http://www.military.com/army" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Army</a> Corps of Engineers went over details and schedulingincluding maintenance hangars and low-observable restoration facilitieson Monday with South Dakota's Rapid City Military Advisory Coalition, the release states.</p><p>The B-21 is still <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/09/15/b-1-aging-and-b-21-still-years-out-air-force-may-soon-have-no-go-bomber.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">years away</a>. The Air Force has said deliveries of the bomber, manufactured by Northrop Grumman, should begin in the mid-2020s, but the service has <a href="https://www.military.com/defensetech/2017/03/17/first-rule-b-21-not-talk-b-21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been careful not to broadcast</a> details in order to protect its technology.</p><p>In 2019, the service announced that the first operational B-21 base would be at <a href="http://www.military.com/base-guide/ellsworth-air-force-base" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ellsworth Air Force Base</a>, South Dakota, which will also host the bomber's first formal training unit.</p><p><a href="http://www.military.com/base-guide/dyess-air-force-base" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dyess Air Force Base</a>, Texas, is the service's preferred alternative. Dyess and <a href="http://www.military.com/base-guide/whiteman-air-force-base" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Whiteman Air Force Base</a>, Missouri, are expected to receive B-21 Raiders "as they become available," the <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/03/28/air-force-reveals-first-operational-base-futuristic-b-21-bomber.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">service said at the time</a>.</p><p><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5a0b250a35876efc0e8b5da5/b-21 stealth bomber.jpg" border="0" alt="B 21 Stealth Bomber" data-mce-source="Northrup Grumman" data-mce-caption="The B-21 stealth bomber." data-link="https://news.northropgrumman.com/file'fid=57d971fc2cfac27bff90f955"></p><p>Any construction for facilities at Ellsworth and the surrounding area for B-21 support must wait until the service completes an environmental impact statement and makes a final basing decision, which is expected this year, the release states.</p><p>"We can only be successful when we proactively work as a team with our industry and community partners to ensure a common understanding of our plan, our timeline, potential environmental impacts, and the assistance that we'll need from the private sector once the [decision from the Environmental Impact Statement] is signed by the secretary of the Air Force," said John Henderson, the head of Installations, Environment and Energy for the service, in the release.</p><p>The Air Force has said it plans to procure at least 100 Raiders, rounding out its bomber inventory to 175, including its <a href="http://www.military.com/equipment/b-52-stratofortress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">B-52 Stratofortress</a> fleet.</p><p>However, Gen. Tim Ray, head of Air Force Global Strike Command, has often proposed a bomber force of more than 200 aircraft.</p><p>"We've said publicly that we think we need 220 bombers overall -- 75 B-52s and the rest B-21s, long term," Ray told Air Force Magazine <a href="https://www.airforcemag.com/article/qa-right-sizing-bombers-and-people/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last year</a>.</p><p>The Raider passed its critical design review in December 2018, a pivotal milestone for the program.</p><p><em>-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at </em><em><a href="mailto:oriana.pawlyk@military.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oriana.pawlyk@military.com</a></em><em>. Follow her on Twitter at </em><em><a href="https://twitter.com/Oriana0214" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@Oriana0214</a></em><em>.</em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-next-step-to-mount-hypersonic-missiles-on-b1b-2020-12" >The Air Force is moving closer to being able to fire sophisticated weapons from the outside of B-1B bombers</a></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-discusses-building-hangar-for-future-b21-stealth-bomber-2021-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story »</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/northrop-grumman-stealth-bomber-air-force-aviation-military-2017-6">America's B-2 stealth bomber is unlike any military aircraft in the world</a></p>
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