The Air Force late Friday issued a statement noting the service had released an updated request for proposals for the tanker replacement program, called KC-X. Air Force acquisition chief Sue Payton confirmed that USAF has delayed release of the final RFP until January, but she said the goal is still to complete source selection by Sept. 30, 2007. The release also reaffirmed that the KC-X is now the service’s top procurement priority.
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.
