The Bush Administration has informed the Government of Iceland that it plans to draw down this fall four US Air Force F-15 Eagles and USAF rescue helicopter squadron from NAS Keflavik, Iceland, a base that the US has used since 1951 under a bilateral security agreement. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Joe Carpenter called the Keflavik mission a relic of the Cold War, saying that the move is part of the Pentagon’s overall restructuring to meet current and emerging threats. State Department officials say the US is working with Iceland to devise “an appropriate arrangement.” Iceland’s Ambassador to the US, Helgi Agustsson, told the Washington Post that Iceland was “deeply disappointed” over the decision.
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.