The Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah, will see its first new F-22A stealth fighters in April, when the ALC starts upgrading the lighting system for nighttime aerial refueling. The ALC maintainers have been working with a trainer to get acclimated to the new fighter; however, they say their experience with the stealthy B-2 bomber will help. Preparing for a new workload is “unique,” says Mike Dooner, the ALC’s F-22 production chief, but he added, “Our technicians and support personnel have spend most of their careers working with new technology.”
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.
