Since 1944, the Defense Department’s only organization that provides aircraft and crews to fly into the eye of hurricanes and tropical storms is the Air Force Reserve Command’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, based at Keesler AFB, Miss. Their home base damaged heavily by Hurricane Katrina, the Hurricane Hunters are flying their specially equipped WC-130J aircraft out of Dobbins ARB, Ga., to scout out, at present, Hurricane Ophelia.
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.