The blaze in New Jersey triggered by a flare from an Air National Guard F-16 on a training mission in May could cost the Air Force at least $200 million, reports The Press of Atlantic City. That is the total for 161 claims the service currently is processing from both property damage and dislocation expenses for those people forced from their homes. Some claims are still coming in. Just last month, the service received a single property damage claim for $197 million—significantly increasing the total cost. USAF has six months to investigate claim legitimacy.
The Space Force is preparing for significant growth to its procurement budget in fiscal 2027, and the head of the service’s largest acquisition organization said April 14 he is asking companies to invest now in facilities and production capacity so they’re ready to execute when called upon.