The safety investigation board looking into last week’s fatal C-17 crash convened Monday at JB Elmendorf, Alaska, to begin its inquiry, base spokesman Bob Hall told the Daily Report. The C-17 went down shortly after takeoff from Elmendorf on a training flight July 28, killing the four airmen aboard. The aircraft was assigned to Elmendorf’s 3rd Wing. News of the safety investigation’s beginning came as base officials released photos of the C-17’s wreckage. (See Elmendorf report by SrA. Cynthia Spalding)
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.