Senior USAF officials say they have a green light to pursue an unmanned, intercontinental strike aircraft that will complement the existing fleet of bombers. The new aircraft will be built in small numbers, but will be fast, and keep the technological juices flowing in industry. There will not be an interim bomber, however. USAF has been considering an FB-22 to serve as a gap-filler while it works to field a new long-range strike platform.
The Air Force plans to start buying thousands of advanced new handheld radios in 2027 for downed aircrew to communicate with search-and-rescue forces, a capability spotlighted earlier this year during the recovery of two aviators shot down in Iran.