Testers at Edwards AFB, Calif., have pushed the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 20 unmanned aerial vehicle to its “fuel system limits” to ascertain just how long it could fly in the event of a missed landing, reports A1C Mike Young. The weeklong testing took place inside a weight and balance hangar at Edwards. The test team tilted the UAV at a 20-degree angle, which simulates a missed approach, requiring the aircraft to climb at a steep angle to recover. “We wanted to ensure that at the steep deck angle, the pumps would not create an engine flame out resulting in engine failure,” said 2nd Lt. Garrison Lindholm, the 773rd Test Squadron subsystem engineer.
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.