Air Force Global Strike Command and Pacific Air Forces partnered to shave an estimated $12 million each year from the cost of B-2A and B-52H rotations to Andersen AFB, Guam, where the United States maintains a continual bomber presence. They’ve done this by changing the logistics set-up for the B-52s that deploy there every six months on average either from Barksdale AFB, La., or Minot AFB, N.D. Until now, each expeditionary B-52 squadron has lugged an enormous trove of spare parts—known as a mobility readiness spares package—with it there and back. Now, officials agreed to permanently position a B-52 MRSP on Guam, standardize the packages at Barksdale and Minot, and also transfer MRSPs by land routes between the two stateside bases. (Barksdale report by Megan Meyer)
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.