The West Virginia Air National Guard’s 130th Airlift Wing has delivered one of its C-130 transports to the Boeing facility in San Antonio, where it will be the third Hercules to undergo avionics modernization program upgrades. Boeing VP Mike Harris said in a statement, “We have learned a lot from working on the first two AMP aircraft, and we are ready to apply those experiences as we start work on H3.” Earlier this year, the Pentagon recertified the C-130 AMP effort after it exceeded cost estimates, breaching the Nunn-McCurdy rule, but the Air Force cut the number to be modified by 80 aircraft.
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.
