US Air Force starts Missouri’s first $75M hangar for $700M stealth B-21 bomber fleet

A $74.9 million construction award will bring the B-21 Raider’s specialized infrastructure to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri for the first time. Conti Kight JV, a partnership between Conti Federal Services and Kight Construction Group, won the firm-fixed-price contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District. Work will create a new radio frequency hangar designed to support the stealth bomber’s future operations at the base. Whiteman already operates the B-2 Spirit and now stands as the second planned B-21 operating base. Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota currently leads the B-21 basing effort. Hangar targets B-21 operations The new facility will center on a single B-21 aircraft position. Its design also includes specialized work areas needed to support aircraft maintenance and mission preparation. Engineers will incorporate back shops, material storage, administrative areas, and other support spaces into the facility. The hangar will focus specifically on radio frequency and measurement work associated with the B-21 program. That function matters for an aircraft built around low observability. Radio frequency testing helps technicians examine systems that operate within the electromagnetic spectrum. Conti Federal already has direct experience with this type of B-21 infrastructure. The company is constructing a similar RF hangar at Ellsworth Air Force Base. That project gives the joint venture firsthand experience with the program’s specialized construction requirements. Lessons from Ellsworth can inform planning and execution at Whiteman. Local skills meet B-21 Kight Construction brings a different advantage to the partnership. Its experience in federal construction and familiarity with the regional market can help the team manage work around Whiteman. The arrangement combines program-specific knowledge with established local capabilities. That could prove important for a project involving specialized infrastructure at an active Air Force installation. Conti Federal has already worked across several B-21-related facilities. Its portfolio includes an alert facility, flight simulator facility, and phase maintenance hangar. Other projects include fuel systems maintenance infrastructure, Dock 81, and environmental protection shelters. The company has also worked on a weapons loader training facility. Those projects give Conti Federal experience across multiple pieces of the B-21 support ecosystem. The Whiteman hangar adds another specialized facility to that portfolio. Whiteman prepares for B-21 The construction award marks a significant infrastructure step for Whiteman as it prepares to host the B-21. The base currently serves as the home of the B-2, giving it an established role in America’s strategic bomber fleet. The B-21 program is gradually expanding its physical footprint beyond Ellsworth. Whiteman’s new infrastructure will support that transition as the Air Force prepares the installation for future Raider operations. Construction is scheduled for completion in September 2029. Once finished, the RF hangar will become part of the infrastructure supporting B-21 operations at Whiteman. The project also illustrates the engineering demands that accompany the transition to a new bomber fleet. Aircraft basing requires far more than parking space, with specialized facilities needed to test, maintain, and support increasingly complex systems.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Aamir is a seasoned tech journalist with experience at Exhibit Magazine, Republic World, and PR Newswire. With a deep love for all things tech and science, he has spent years decoding the latest innovations and exploring how they shape industries, lifestyles, and the future of humanity.