The Air Force and Boeing are addressing two additional Category 1 deficiencies in the KC-46 in addition to the four remaining Category 1 problems involving the aircraft’s refueling system. The previously unannounced issues are with the aircraft's receptacle drain line tubes and Flight Management System, the Air Force said in a statement. Both issues are being fixed at Boeing’s expense. “There are no operational restrictions on fielded KC-46s due to either of these deficiencies, nor do they affect (Air Mobility Command’s) plan for KC-46 Interim Capability Release,” USAF spokesman Capt. Joshua D. Benedetti said in a statement.

The Defense Department is reviewing the "pass-through" budget idiosyncrasy that can make the Air Force's spending levels look nearly a fifth larger than they really are, acting Air Force Secretary John P. Roth told the Senate Armed Services Committee. The sticking point is that changing the attribution of the money may expose secrets, Roth told the SASC.

The total program cost of re-engining the B-52H fleet of 76 airplanes will be about $11 billion, a 9 percent jump over a previous estimate because of more-up-to-date data. Acting Air Force Secretary John P. Roth told the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 17 that recent press reports of a 50 percent increase are incorrect. The new number reflects information obtained from virtual prototyping of the system, along with “a re-assessment of the requirement” and the inherent complexity of integrating a modern, commercial engine onto the “aging platform that the B-52 is,” he said.

Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond on June 17 said the creation of a new service academy for the U.S. Space Force is not necessary, instead saying he is “comfortable” with the relationship with the U.S. Air Force Academy. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) raised the possibility of a new academy during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, saying, “I think we need something maybe where we just specialize with space.”

The Pentagon’s 2022 budget is light on funding for the Arctic, though Defense Department officials want that to change in future funding requests as it develops a new strategy that will take into account the growing importance of the region. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, testifying before the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee on June 17, said the current request provides “some capability” for the Arctic, but he agrees that “we have to better resource our Arctic efforts in the future.”