Elsewhere in the heavy bomber world, the Air Force plans to shift temporarily 20 B-1B bombers and some 550 airmen assigned to Dyess AFB, Tex., to Ellsworth AFB, S.D., while the runway at Dyess undergoes repair. Other Dyess bombers are deployed to Southwest Asia, reports SrA. Carolyn Viss, making this an opportune time for the runway work.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.