The Washington Congressional delegation has been busy promoting the Air National Guard’s 141st Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild AFB, Wash., as a potential operator for RC-26B counterdrug aircraft, reports the Spokesman Review (requires free sign up). The 141st has to give up its KC-135 refueling aircraft under BRAC 2005, but it will still fly tankers as an associate unit to the active duty wing at Fairchild. Instead of losing members, the 141st already has added slots to handle new work modifying KC-135 brake systems.
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.
