The 914th Airlift Wing at Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y., is wrapping up its final airlift rotation to al Udeid AB, Qatar, before it transitions from the C-130 to KC-135 Stratotankers, according to a release. The 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and the 746th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit supported over 1,000 flight hours in support of Operation Inherent Resolve just within the last three months. The C-130s proved more than capable of adapting to their challenging missions, which involved inserting airborne troops, airdropping cargo, and medical evacuations under demanding conditions that necessitated “routinely landing on a 3,000-foot dirt runway” and “flying only 300 feet off the ground.”
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.
