The Pacific Air Operations Center within the Kenney Warfighting Headquarters at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, has provided command and control for US Pacific Command’s Rim of the Pacific exercise, attended by airmen and sailors of seven Pacific Rim nations and the United Kingdom. RIMPAC 2006 comprises nearly 160 aircraft, 40 ships, and six submarines—all being managed through the “state of the art” PAOC. “We speak different languages, and we found out initially that we have different acronyms for things, but that all those things are easily overcome,” said Brig. Gen. Greg Ihde, the KHQ vice commander and PAOC commander. “That’s why we practice.”
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.
