Although the Air National Guard did not have to stand down any of its combat squadrons like Air Combat Command following the implementation of budget sequestration, it’s still feeling some effects, said ANG Director Lt. Gen. Stanley Clarke in his address on Tuesday at AFA’s 2013 Air and Space Conference in National Harbor, Md. “We have really backed out of a lot of the training we used to do,” such as Red Flag, said Clarke. He added, “We’re not as connected to the Total Force from a training perspective.”
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.