Active and reserve air mobility support continues to aid the massive disaster response efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. (See DR, 9/01/05). Air Mobility Command’s Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill., has been coordinating mobility aircraft—cargo to aeromedical evacuation—to support FEMA operations. Among the taskings: four C-5s and one C-17—flown by mixed active, ANG, and AFRC crews—to ferry supplies and equipment into Lafayette Airport in Lafayette, La. An AFRC C-130J from the 403rd Airlift Wing returned home to Keesler AFB, Miss., which sustained major damage, to ferry in much needed medical and electrical supplies. On standby, as of late Wednesday, were AFRC C-130s from the 908th AW, Maxwell AFB, Ala., and 910th AW, Youngstown ARS, Ohio, and C-5s from the 433rd AW, Lackland AFB, Tex., and 439th AW, Westover ARB, Mass.
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.
