Weather 
scientists say the US is on the upswing of a 30-year up-and-down cycle of hurricanes, as evidenced by the bumper crop of powerful storms over the last three years. Gen. William Looney, head of Air Education and Training Command, says, however, that this has apparently not been considered in decisions about basing in the Gulf region. “I have heard no discussion at the official level about not rebuilding Keesler” or not going forward with plans to locate all F-35 Joint Strike Fighter training at Eglin (AFB, Fla.), Looney said. Until told otherwise, “we’re moving ahead to reconstitute Keesler.”
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.
