The Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract valued at up to $2 billion to engineer and manufacture 242 wing sets for its fleet of A-10 attack aircraft. Boeing is to deliver the wing sets in easy-installation kits. The Air Force, which in late 2005 recognized it had a problem with cracks in its “thin-skinned” Warthogs, has been proceeding with a precision engagement upgrade, giving the 20-year-old aircraft a much needed avionics overhaul.
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.