Defense Secretary James Mattis on Monday presented the National Security Council’s Principal’s Committee with his plan to defeat ISIS, as ordered in a presidential memo last month, but do not expect the details to become public. Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said Monday the plan was finished over the weekend and was first presented Monday afternoon. The classified plan is a “framework” for future discussions, focusing on collaborating with interagency partners and allied nations to defeat the “transregional threat” posed by ISIS both in Iraq, Syria, and abroad. While the plan specifically focuses on ISIS, it also takes into account threats posed by groups such as al Qaeda. Davis would not provide details on if the plan will include troop level increases, and instead said it focuses on capabilities needed to get specific effects on the battlefield.
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.