USAF Activates Unit Dedicated To B-21 Integration

The U.S. Air Force activated B-21 Integration Detachment 1 at Ellsworth Air Force Base to coordinate the Raider’s introduction while the base continues operating B-1Bs. The unit will align personnel, procedures, infrastructure and testing across organisations preparing the first operational location. Ellsworth expects a test aircraft in October 2027 and its first production B-21 about a year later, alongside roughly $2 billion in construction and renovation work. The detachment is intended to reduce transition risk before the stealth bomber assumes conventional and nuclear long-range strike missions.