According to Associated Press news service, the US military has activated a high powered X-band radar outpost in Aomori Prefecture, Japan to protect against ballistic missiles, amid growing concerns of North Korean weapons programs. It is part of the joint US-Japan missile defense project that began in 1998 after North Korea fired a long range missile over Japan. The radar had been located on Misawa AB, Japan, and is now at Camp Shariki, both in Aomori.
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.