North Korea has been steadily working toward its first test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile and, according to several news reports, the Bush Administration believes such a test now is possible at any time. (The International Herald Tribune reported similar grim tidings late last month.) However, according to Voice of America, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Sunday on Fox News that the US and other governments were working within the UN to ensure that Pyongyang adheres to its 1999 agreement not to fire ICBMs.
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.