The U.S. is replacing a $2 billion stealth bomber with a smarter $700 million one.
At first glance, the B-2 Spirit and B-21 Raider may look similar — but they’re built for very different eras.
The B-2 Spirit is powerful, long-ranged, and capable of carrying massive payloads, including 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs designed to strike deeply buried targets.
But it comes with major drawbacks: it’s extremely expensive, difficult to maintain, and fully dependent on human pilots.
The B-21 Raider is its next-generation replacement
It’s significantly cheaper at around $700 million per aircraft, easier to maintain, and built for more frequent operations.
It can carry similar heavy payloads — including the same bunker-busting munitions — but with greater efficiency and modern stealth improvements.
And the biggest shift? Autonomy.
The B-2 was designed around human pilots.
The B-21 is being built with the potential to eventually operate without one.
Same mission. Smarter machine.