More and more frequently, news articles report that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has seen the exit sign on the wall. The New York Daily News like Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute proffers Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman as a likely replacement. While that might seem a stretch to some, the Daily News also offers Gordon England as the “inside contender.” We see a slight problem with England, since he can’t seem to get beyond being the “Acting” deputy defense secretary. Let the guessing games begin.
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.