Northrop Grumman’s X-47B naval unmanned combat demonstrator aircraft flies for the first time, completing a 29-minute mission at Edwards AFB, Calif. The UCAS-D program is designed to demonstrate that a tailless, fighter-sized aircraft can safely takeoff and land on a carrier deck.
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.