US contractor wins $70.5 million deal to build B-21 bomber hangar

The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is expected to enter service in 2027 (Image: Northrop Grumman)

US construction contractor Conti Federal Services has won a US$70.5 million deal to build a new B-21 radio frequency hangar at a US Air Force base in South Dakota.

The 64,500 sq ft single-bay hangar facility at Ellsworth Air Force Base will be built alongside an associated airfield apron, utilities, and infrastructure for radio frequency testing of the B-21 airframe.

The project also includes all associated back shop, administrative and facility support spaces.

Awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Omaha District, this is the seventh facility to enter construction in support of the Ellsworth B-21 beddown.

This project will include a space or spaces constructed to secure area standard Intelligence Community Directive/Intelligence Community Standard 705 (ICD/ICS 705).

Work is due for completion by 2025.

The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is a long-range strike bomber, which is still under development. The US Air Force plans to use it to replace the Rockwell B-1 Lancer and Northrop Grumann B-2 Sprit by 2040.

The B-21 is set to make its first flight in 2023 and will enter service in 2027.

Conti Federal’s program director, Ryan Kanzleiter, said, “This award is a significant win for the Conti Federal team, as this will be our first project at Ellsworth Air Force Base. It is a great opportunity for us to grow our relationships with local partners and the USACE Omaha District.

“We are very excited to begin work on the RF Hangar and to tap into our local team located out of our Rapid City office. This project will position Conti Federal well for future projects at Ellsworth Air Force Base and in the USACE Omaha Area of Responsibility.”

Conti Federal is currently also constructing a helicopter facility at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, as well as an F-35 Fighter Alert Shelter at Truax Field in Madison, Wisconsin.