The Air National Guard’s 1st Air Force also now is Air Force North, or AFNORTH, in keeping with the Air Force plan to re-vamp numbered Air Forces into warfighting headquarters. The counterpart AFSOUTH, the alternate moniker for 12th Air Force, took its new name earlier this month. Both units are considered provisional until they reach full operational capability.
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.
