Northrop Grumman opens East Gate 3 facility in Utah to expand B-21 Raider production

September 11, 2026 at 05:13 PM2 min

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Northrop Grumman opened the East Gate 3 manufacturing facility in Layton, Utah, on September 9, 2026, adding 845,000 square feet to its B-21 Raider production campus. The expansion supports simultaneous low-rate production and flight testing, with up to 1,500 engineering and manufacturing positions expected by 2032. The opening follows $4.5 billion in federal funding to increase B-21 annual production capacity by 25%.

Key Facts

The East Gate 3 facility adds 845,000 square feet to Northrop Grumman's Layton, Utah campus, bringing the company's Utah manufacturing footprint to over 2 million square feet.
Northrop Grumman expects the new facility to support up to 1,500 engineering and manufacturing positions by 2032.
The U.S. Air Force's fiscal year 2027 budget request includes $6.109 billion for B-21 Raider manufacturing and procurement, with $3.246 billion allocated for procurement.
The B-21 Raider program is based on a requirement of at least 100 aircraft, but senior Air Force and Strategic Command officials have discussed a requirement near 145 Raiders.
The first operational B-21 Raider is scheduled to reach Ellsworth Air Force Base in 2027.

Facility Expansion

Northrop Grumman opened the East Gate 3 manufacturing facility in Layton, Utah, on September 9, 2026. The 845,000-square-foot campus expansion supports simultaneous low-rate initial production and flight testing of the B-21 Raider. The new facility increases Northrop Grumman's Utah manufacturing footprint to over two million square feet. Layton specializes in sixth-generation aircraft manufacturing centered on the B-21, while nearby Clearfield produces composite structures for the B-21, F-35, Sentinel, and Airbus A350.

Funding and Production

The expansion follows $4.5 billion in funding provided through the 2025 reconciliation legislation to increase B-21 annual production capacity by 25%. The fiscal year 2027 budget request reaches $6.109 billion, including $3.246 billion for procurement. The program remains based on at least 100 B-21 Raider stealth bombers, but senior Air Force and Strategic Command officials have discussed a requirement near 145 Raiders. Two Raiders are already flying at Edwards Air Force Base, additional bombers are in production or ground testing, and the first operational B-21 is scheduled to reach Ellsworth Air Force Base in 2027.

Workforce Impact

Northrop Grumman expects the East Gate 3 facility to support up to 1,500 engineering and manufacturing positions by 2032. Northrop Grumman already employs more than 11,000 people in Utah, making East Gate's planned workforce equal to 13.6% of the current statewide headcount. The combined Layton-Clearfield manufacturing footprint now exceeds 2 million square feet, equal to at least 6.7% of the company's more than 30 million square feet nationwide.