B-2 Spirit: Cost, Contracts & Timeline

Cost to the Government

Cost figures
Measure	Amount	Source
Program totals · 1
Development program totalHistorical estimate. GAO identified an additional $89M understatement associated with upgrading test aircraft.	$24.696BThen-year $	B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure FY1998 budget
Unit costs · 1
Program acquisition / aircraftHistorical PAUC including development, procurement and military construction, spread across 21 aircraft. Not a current replacement price.	$2.131BThen-year $	B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure Dec 1996
Quantities · 2
Active-force inventoryAir Force fact sheet includes one test aircraft. Inventory is not the number available for a mission.	20U.S. only	B-2 Spirit fact sheet U.S. Air Force · figure May 2026
Historical acquisition quantityProgram acquisition denominator; not current inventory.	21U.S. only	B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure Dec 1996
Operating costs · 1
Reimbursement / flight hourPublished reimbursement rate for use by another DoD component. This is a billing rate, not the fully burdened cost of ownership.	$96,949 / hrNominal $; other DoD component	FY2026 aircraft hourly reimbursement rates, Other DoD Component column DoD Comptroller · figure FY2026

Program totals · 1

Development program totalHistorical estimate. GAO identified an additional $89M understatement associated with upgrading test aircraft.
B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure FY1998 budget
$24.696BThen-year $

Unit costs · 1

Program acquisition / aircraftHistorical PAUC including development, procurement and military construction, spread across 21 aircraft. Not a current replacement price.
B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure Dec 1996
$2.131BThen-year $

Quantities · 2

Active-force inventoryAir Force fact sheet includes one test aircraft. Inventory is not the number available for a mission.
B-2 Spirit fact sheet U.S. Air Force · figure May 2026
20U.S. only
Historical acquisition quantityProgram acquisition denominator; not current inventory.
B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure Dec 1996
21U.S. only

Operating costs · 1

Reimbursement / flight hourPublished reimbursement rate for use by another DoD component. This is a billing rate, not the fully burdened cost of ownership.
FY2026 aircraft hourly reimbursement rates, Other DoD Component column DoD Comptroller · figure FY2026
$96,949 / hrNominal $; other DoD component

Earlier observations · 5

Superseded estimates and prices, each in its original scope and dollar basis.

Earlier cost observations
Measure	Amount	Source
Unit costs · 3
Program acquisition / aircraft¹	$2.247BThen-year $	B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure Dec 1994
Program acquisition / aircraft¹	$2.265BThen-year $	B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure Dec 1995
Program acquisition / aircraftDenominator increased to 21; lower PAUC is not necessarily a manufacturing saving.	$2.131BThen-year $	B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure Dec 1996
Operating costs · 2
Reimbursement / flight hour²	$87,774 / hrNominal $; other DoD component	FY2025 aircraft hourly reimbursement rates, Other DoD Component column DoD Comptroller · figure FY2025
Reimbursement / flight hour²	$96,949 / hrNominal $; other DoD component	FY2026 aircraft hourly reimbursement rates, Other DoD Component column DoD Comptroller · figure FY2026

Unit costs · 3

Program acquisition / aircraft¹
B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure Dec 1994
$2.247BThen-year $
Program acquisition / aircraft¹
B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure Dec 1995
$2.265BThen-year $
Program acquisition / aircraftDenominator increased to 21; lower PAUC is not necessarily a manufacturing saving.
B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues (pp. 3, 14) GAO · figure Dec 1996
$2.131BThen-year $

Operating costs · 2

Reimbursement / flight hour²
FY2025 aircraft hourly reimbursement rates, Other DoD Component column DoD Comptroller · figure FY2025
$87,774 / hrNominal $; other DoD component
Reimbursement / flight hour²
FY2026 aircraft hourly reimbursement rates, Other DoD Component column DoD Comptroller · figure FY2026
$96,949 / hrNominal $; other DoD component

¹20 operational aircraft in the estimate.

²Published reimbursement rate for use by another DoD component. This is a billing rate, not the fully burdened cost of ownership.

Contracts & purchasing · 1

Ceilings, options and purchase agreements are not spending and are never added together. Obligations are under Contracts.

Contracts and purchasing
Buyer → seller	Status	Value	Qty	Source
U.S. Air Force → Northrop GrummanFA8616-24-D-B001 covers B-2 modernization and sustainment through May 3, 2029. $7B is the ceiling, not obligated spending; $21,439 in RDT&E was obligated at award. DoD corrected the initially announced award date.	IDIQ ceiling	$7B	—	B-2 modernization and sustainment IDIQ award Department of Defense · figure May 3, 2024 · +1 more

Open research: Full annual operating-and-support cost is not verified in this review. Task-order obligations under the modernization and sustainment ceiling are not aggregated.

What the government budgets and pays for this program, from budget justification books, appropriations, acquisition reports and contract announcements. Each figure states its dollar basis. What contractors were obligated is under Contracts.

Contracts$5.04B obligated since FY2008

Explore in Awards →

Contractors12

Northrop Grumman$4.94B 98%
Lockheed Martin$62.5M 1.2%
RTX$22.1M 0.4%
GE Aerospace$5.0M 0.1%
Boeing$3.2M 0.1%
General Dynamics$2.9M 0.1%
Textron$1.5M 0.0%
Booz Allen Hamilton$1.1M 0.0%
CACI International$589K 0.0%
Honeywell International$531K 0.0%
Amentum$178K 0.0%
Moog$150K 0.0%

Awards50

Sort

Government awards. Select a sortable column heading to sort.
								Conf.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	ACAT II, B-2 FLEX STRIKE PHASE 1 EMD	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Aug 15, 2014	$101M	$102M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	COMMON VLF RECEIVER INCREMENT 1, B-2 ACAT III	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Jun 3, 2014	$35.9M	$34.7M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	B-2 TACTICAL AIR NAVIGATION FIT, FORM, FUNCTION (TACAN F3)	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Feb 20, 2014	$39.1M	$39.1M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	NON-ACAT, B-2 AIRCRAFT TRAINING SYSTEM SUPPORT, PROVIDE ENTERPRISE SUPPORT EFFORTS FOR CALENDAR YEAR (CY) 2014	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Jan 30, 2014	$34.2M	$11.7M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	IGF::OT::IGF B-2 PERFORMANCE-BASED LOGISTICS (PBL) B-2 CY14 SOFTWARE SUSTAINMENT (SWS)	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 31, 2013	$37.0M	$37.0M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	IGF::OT::IGF B-2 CONTRACTOR INVENTORY CONTROL POINT (CICP)	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 27, 2013	$55.2M	$55.4M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	IGF::OT::IGF B-2 PERFORMANCE BASED LOGISTICS (PBL) SUSTAINING ENGINEERING (SE) SUSTAINMENT	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 24, 2013	$29.9M	$29.9M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	IGF::OT::IGF B-2 PROGRAMMED DEPOT MAINTENANCE (PDM)	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 23, 2013	$117M	$213M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	MANUFACTURE OF B-2 AIRCRAFT STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS	Defense Logistics Agency	Definitive Contract	Sep 27, 2013	$37.6M	$37.6M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Lockheed Martin	IGF::OT::IGF OVERHAUL OF B-2 DMS	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Jul 24, 2013	$46.4M	—	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	NON-ACAT, B2 FAST, CY13 ESDO	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Jan 14, 2013	$34.7M	$11.1M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY13 PERFORMANCE BASED LOGISTICS (PBL) CONTRACTOR INVENTORY CONTROL POINT (C-ICP), CLASSIFIED AIRCRAFT COMPONENT SUPPORT (CACS), AND ADAPTABLE COMMUNICATION SUITE (ACS) SUSTAINMENT.	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 28, 2012	$46.7M	$46.7M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY13 PERFORMANCE-BASED LOGISTICS (PBL) B-2 SOFTWARE SUSTAINMENT (SWS)	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 28, 2012	$43.8M	$43.8M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY13 B-2 PERFORMANCE BASED LOGISTICS (PBL) SUSTAINING ENGINEERING (SE) SUSTAINMENT	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 27, 2012	$33.7M	$33.7M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY 13 PROGRAMMED DEPOT MAINTENANCE DELIVERY ORDER	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 17, 2012	$124M	$179M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	B-2 AUDIO CONTROL DISTRIBUTION UNIT FORM, FIT AND FUNCTION REDESIGN	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 14, 2012	$49.4M	$49.4M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	ACAT 1, B2 UCA FOR DMS TD PHASE 2	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Oct 17, 2012	$536M	$142M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	ACAT 1C, B-2 PROGRAM, EHF SATCOM INCREMENT I PRODUCTION LRIP/FRP	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Sep 27, 2012	$112M	$886K	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	BASE CAR TO ALLOW CAPTURE OF CPFF FUNDS	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Apr 17, 2012	$29.0M	$26.2M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	ACAT III, B-2, MOP IMPRM QRC, T-1 MOD FOR GPS SIGNAL	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Mar 19, 2012	$28.3M	$25.7M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY12 B-2 PBL SUSTAINMENT DELIVERY ORDER FOR SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 23, 2011	$48.6M	$4.2M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY12 INTERIM CONTRACTOR SUPPORT (ICS)	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 23, 2011	$24.6M	$24.6M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	BASE CAR TO ALLOW TRACKING OF CR FUNDS	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 21, 2011	$111M	$98K	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY12 B-2 PERFORMANCE BASED LOGISTICS (PBL) CONTRACTOR INVENTORY CONTROL POINT (CICP) SUSTAINMENT	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 21, 2011	$41.6M	$5.3M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY12 B-2 PERFORMANCE BASED LOGISTICS (PBL) SUSTAINING ENGINEERING (SE) SUSTAINMENT	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 21, 2011	$34.1M	$1.1M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	NON ACAT, B2 FAST, CY12 ESDO	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 19, 2011	$38.2M	$771K	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	PRE-MDAP (ANTICIPATED ACAT 1D), B-2, DMS, TECH DEV PHASE 1	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Oct 20, 2011	$112M	$116M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	STRUCTURAL SUPPORT, LEFT AND RIGHT HAND, APPL: B-2	Defense Logistics Agency	Definitive Contract	Sep 21, 2011	$131M	$131M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	NON-ACAT PROP PREP FOR SMOFP REHOST&MIXED CARRIAGE	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Sep 20, 2011	$33.1M	$32.0M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	EXHAUST PIPE	Defense Logistics Agency	Definitive Contract	Sep 16, 2011	$76.6M	$76.6M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	EHF INC 2 CAD PHASE 2 ANTENNA SYSTEM	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Apr 1, 2011	$152M	—	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY11 B-2 SUSTAINMENT DELIVERY ORDER FOR SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 30, 2010	$93.9M	$37.0M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY11 ENTERPRISE SUPPORT	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 30, 2010	$39.8M	$10.1M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY11 B-2 PERFORMANCE BASED LOGISTICS (PBL) CONTRACTOR INVENTORY CONTROL POINT (C-ICP) SUSTAINMENT	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 28, 2010	$50.5M	$11.4M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	OTHER AIRCRAFT PART AND AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 27, 2010	$143M	$13.3M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY11 PERFORMANCE BASED LOGISTICS (PBL) SUSTAINING ENGINEERING SUSTAINMENT	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 23, 2010	$38.5M	$9.6M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	B-2 SUSTAINMENT, NON PDM OVER AND ABOVE (O&A)	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Feb 11, 2010	$96.8M	$13.6M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY10 B-2 PERFORMANCE-BASED LOGISTICS (PBL) SUSTAINMENT	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 17, 2009	$260M	$204M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	EHF SATCOM, INC 2, PHASE 2 CORE	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Oct 29, 2009	$74.0M	$68.6M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	MOP QRC EMD EFFORT	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Jul 7, 2009	$45.1M	$431K	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	B-2 SUSTAINMENT, NON PDM OVER AND ABOVE (O&A)	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Feb 26, 2009	$148M	$124M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	B-2 CY09 INTERIM ICS-PBL	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 23, 2008	$32.0M	$18.8M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	B-2 PERFORMANCE-BASED LOGISTICS SUSTAINMENT (PBL)	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 22, 2008	$216M	$96K	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	CY09 ENTERPRISE SUPPORT	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 19, 2008	$36.8M	—	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	DMS - DETAILED ANALYSIS OF TECHNOLOGIES	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Sep 3, 2008	$45.5M	$6.8M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	RMP LRIP	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Aug 15, 2008	$466M	$728K	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	ESTABLISH O&A CLIN AND REQUEST A ROM FOR ADDITIONAL PSLU EFFORTS.	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	May 29, 2008	$44.9M	$23.2M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	ADMIN CORRECTION TO P00066, H-004 SPECIAL PROVISION	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Dec 19, 2007	$34.6M	$34.6M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	TIME & MATERIAL. OVER AND ABOVE.	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Nov 21, 2007	$195M	$182M	B-2 Spirit	Reported
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation	ESTABLISH/REINSTATE CLINS, REVISE/INCORP SEC I CLAUSES, ADMIN CHGS/CORRECTIONS, SEC J TOC & ATCHS UPDATES	U.S. Air Force	Delivery Order	Oct 4, 2007	$217M	$246M	B-2 Spirit	Reported

Obligations are signed USAspending prime-contract actions coded to this program, FY2008 to date, credited to the company that received each action. Obligations are money committed, not company revenue.

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