The US Air Force is adding a new weapons facility at Whiteman Air Force Base as Missouri prepares to host the B-21 Raider.
K & K Industries received a $13.65 million firm-fixed-price contract to build a weapons release system storage facility supporting the B-21 program. The contract has a cumulative face value of $14.99 million, with work in nearby Knob Noster expected to finish by March 31, 2028.
Whiteman currently hosts the 509th Bomb Wing, which operates the B-2 Spirit fleet. In September 2024, the air force selected the Missouri base as the B-21’s second main operating base, alongside Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.
The B-21 Raider is a nuclear-capable stealth bomber designed to carry conventional and nuclear weapons. It will eventually form the backbone of the service’s bomber fleet alongside the B-52, replacing the B-1 and B-2 as those aircraft leave service.
The air force plans to acquire at least 100 B-21s.
US B-21 Program Infrastructure
Infrastructure work is advancing alongside development and testing of the bomber itself.
In September, Conti Federal Services and Kight Construction Group secured a $74.9-million contract to build a B-21 Raider radio frequency hangar at Whiteman Air Force Base.
In August, Conti Federal received a $49.8-million contract to build six B-21 environmental protection shelters at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.
Earlier, in May, the company also secured $36.3 million to expand Ellsworth’s B-21 training complex with a new aircrew debriefing and flight simulator facility.
