The replacement sequence outlined here puts B-1 first and B-2 after it, while B-52 is expected to outlast both. Whether B-21 would eventually replace B-52 is left open. A stated target of 2040 for B-2 replacement means a transition of about fifteen years from this July 2025 discussion. That timescale frames the suggestion of waiting to buy a production aircraft instead of spending twenty to twenty-five years on an uncertain joint development program. A purchase would still depend on permission to buy it.
Notable Point · 3:31:40-3:32:53
B-21's replacement sequence and the case for waiting to buy
B-52 is expected to outlast B-1 and B-2, while a long B-21 transition feeds the argument for buying an established aircraft later.