Aircraft · Air
B-2A Spirit
U.S. Air Force low-observable strategic bomber. The FY2026 procurement line identifies the aircraft as B-2A.
- Milestones0
- Operators1
- Components—
- Programs—
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III · Public domain (PD-USGov) · A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit flying over the Pacific Ocean. Resized and reencoded as WebP; no additional crop.
U.S. Air Force low-observable strategic bomber. The FY2026 procurement line identifies the aircraft as B-2A.
Timeline
No milestones recorded for B-2A Spirit yet. The timeline fills in as unveilings, tests, contracts and deliveries are sourced.
Operators1
- USUnited States
Cost to the Government
Aircraft · Northrop Grumman
B-2A Spirit
The high acquisition cost of a small bomber fleet: development is a large part of the program bill.
Program acquisition / aircraft
$2.131B
1996-12 · Then-year USD
Historical PAUC including development, procurement and military construction, spread across 21 aircraft. Not a current replacement price.
GAO ↗Active-force inventory
20
2026-05 · U.S. only
Air Force fact sheet includes one test aircraft. Inventory is not the number available for a mission.
U.S. Air Force ↗Historical acquisition quantity
21
1996-12 · U.S. only
Program acquisition denominator; not current inventory.
GAO ↗Development program total
$24.696B
FY1998 budget · Then-year USD
Historical estimate. GAO identified an additional $89M understatement associated with upgrading test aircraft.
GAO ↗Operations & sustainment
Reimbursement / flight hour
$96,949 / hr
FY2026 · Nominal USD; other DoD component
Published reimbursement rate for use by another DoD component. This is a billing rate, not the fully burdened cost of ownership.
DoD Comptroller ↗Cost over time · 5 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-12 | Program acquisition / aircraft 20 operational aircraft in the estimate. | $2.247B | Then-year USD | GAO ↗ |
| 1995-12 | Program acquisition / aircraft 20 operational aircraft in the estimate. | $2.265B | Then-year USD | GAO ↗ |
| 1996-12 | Program acquisition / aircraft Denominator increased to 21; lower PAUC is not necessarily a manufacturing saving. | $2.131B | Then-year USD | GAO ↗ |
| FY2025 | Reimbursement / flight hour Published reimbursement rate for use by another DoD component. This is a billing rate, not the fully burdened cost of ownership. | $87,774 / hr | Nominal USD; other DoD component | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2026 | Reimbursement / flight hour Published reimbursement rate for use by another DoD component. This is a billing rate, not the fully burdened cost of ownership. | $96,949 / hr | Nominal USD; other DoD component | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 1 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
2024-05-03 · IDIQ ceiling
U.S. Air Force → Northrop Grumman
$7B · quantity not established
FA8616-24-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.
Department of Defense ↗Department of Defense ↗
International buyers
No international purchase documented in this review.
Coverage & 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.
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.