The Army tested its Hunter Standoff Killer Team technology demonstration program last month at Pax River—sending target data over the Link 16 high-speed, digital data link from an Army command and control UH-60 helicopter on the ground to an airborne Air Force F-15E and Navy F/A-18C/D. It worked. Yet to come is a full-up flight test later this year, marrying up a Hunter UAV and an AH-64 Apache—both flying—with the F-15E and F/A-18C/D.
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.
