Air Force Space Command’s 45th Space Wing and industry partners launched a Global Positioning System IIR-M satellite aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II booster on Oct. 17. The Lockheed Martin-built GPS Block IIR-17M satellite features enhanced operations and navigation signal performance for both military and civilian customers, per a company release. This spacecraft, launched from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., is the fourth IIR-M to go on orbit.
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.