The Pentagon’s Defense Acquisition Board on Wednesday approved full-rate production of the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. The official endorsement brings to a close a long and rocky development history. The Air Force plans to purchase 50 of the CV-22 version for Air Force Special Operations Command. Currently there are three test aircraft at Edwards AFB, Calif., where the Osprey will begin initial operational test & evaluation next summer.
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.