Retired Col. Francis Kane, a leader in the development of Global Positioning System satellites, was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame during a ceremony March 2 at Lackland AFB, Tex. More than 150 family and guests watched as Maj. Gen. Richard Webber, 24th Air Force commander, unveiled a portrait of Kane that will hang in the hall of fame, which is located at Peterson AFB, Colo., and honors those who have made lifetime contributions to the Air Force space program. Webber said Kane, the hall of fame’s 50th inductee, is someone who “has influenced life as we know it, not only in military operations, but in all areas.” Among his contributions, Kane led the Air Force’s nascent navigation satellite program in the late 1960s. He is currently president of the Schriever Institute in San Antonio. (Lackland release)
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.