Air Force Global Strike Command activated B-21 Integration Detachment 1 at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota on Sept. 10, taking a major step toward fielding the nation’s next-generation stealth bomber. The detachment represents a concrete milestone in transitioning Ellsworth’s mission from the aging B-1 Lancer to the B-21 Raider, the Air Force’s most advanced bomber platform.
The B-21 Raider is designed to penetrate advanced integrated air defense systems and deliver both conventional and nuclear payloads. The aircraft is central to the modernization of the U.S. nuclear deterrence triad, the combination of land-based missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and bomber-delivered weapons that forms the foundation of American strategic deterrence.
Ellsworth AFB is one of the primary bases designated to receive the B-21 as the Air Force phases out older bomber platforms. The activation of an integration detachment begins the complex process of preparing the base’s infrastructure, personnel, and operational procedures for the new aircraft.
For the communities surrounding Ellsworth and the broader South Dakota economy, the B-21 mission transition represents a long-term commitment to the base that sustains thousands of military and civilian jobs.
The B-21 is manufactured by Northrop Grumman and is designed to replace both the B-1 Lancer and the B-2 Spirit in the Air Force’s bomber fleet. The program’s total cost is classified, though estimates have placed it among the most expensive weapons programs in Defense Department history.
Separately, Air Force Global Strike Command launched the North Star Readiness Campaign to address mission-capable rates for existing B-52 and B-1 fleets while the B-21 transition proceeds, according to U.S. Strategic Command. The initiative reflects the need to maintain current bomber readiness even as resources shift toward the next-generation platform.
The B-21 conducted its first flight in November 2023 and has been undergoing testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The Ellsworth activation marks the beginning of the operational transition phase.