The CBO does say that by adding another 21 C-17s to the currently planned 180-aircraft fleet, the Air Force could deliver an additional 1,400 tons within the first six days—the point at which a prepositioned ship might arrive. And, the additional C-17s would continue to increase deliveries to a war theater by some 350 tons per day during surge operations. However, CBO sees the airfield infrastructure needs of C-17s as potentially problematic, whereas it says an airship would need no infrastructure. Hmmmmm.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design the Air Force said.