B-21 Raider Production to Accelerate
On Sept. 9, 2026, Layton City and northern Utah marked a historic event as Northrop Grumman celebrated the opening of a new manufacturing facility, East Gate 3, at its Layton, Utah, campus, expanding production capacity in support of the B-21 Raider program.
At the East Gate campus, several facilities totaling approximately 845,000 square feet will add manufacturing capacity for next-generation aircraft, supporting production acceleration and scale-up of the B-21 Raider program.
Completed ahead of schedule, the East Gate 3 facility expands Northrop Grumman’s manufacturing footprint between Clearfield and Layton, to more than two million square feet, contributing to the company’s over 30 million square feet of manufacturing space. With this scale and speed, Northrop Grumman delivers when it matters most.
As the largest defense contractor in Utah, Northrop Grumman is marking a pivotal moment for growth, aerospace innovation, and national defense investment. The company’s continued investments in the state are having a significant economic impact while creating hundreds of new jobs across multiple missions and programs. Northrop Grumman directly employs over 11,000 Utahns and, according to a recent study, supports more than 46,000 jobs across the state, generating over $12.4 billion for the economy.
The East Gate campus will encompass approximately 845,000 square feet to support next-generation aircraft manufacturing, with capacity for 1,500 employees by 2032. Northrop Grumman’s strategic facility expansion underscores the company’s commitment to enabling the rapid fielding of critical defense systems.
Event speakers included Tom Jones, Corporate Vice President and President, Aeronautics Systems, Northrop Grumman; Chris Adams, Vice President and General Manager, B-21 Program, Northrop Grumman; Senate President J. Stuart Adams, Utah Senate; and Layton Mayor Joy Petro.
Additional information about Northrop Grumman:
https://www.northropgrumman.com/careers/northrop-grumman-in-utah
https://www.northropgrumman.com/what-we-do/aircraft/b-21-raider
https://news.northropgrumman.com/global-power-made-in-america-northrop-grumman-makes-it-in-utah
https://news.northropgrumman.com/b-21/northrop-grumman-accelerating-b-21-raider-production
https://www.northropgrumman.com/what-we-do/aircraft/b-21-raider/10-facts