President Obama has nominated Maj. Gen. Robert Otto for promotion to the rank of lieutenant general for his new assignment as deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in Air Force headquarters, announced the Pentagon on April 11. Otto has been commander of the Air Force ISR Agency at JBSA-Lackland, Tex., since July 2011. If the Senate confirms his nomination, Otto would replace Lt. Gen. Larry James, who has been the Air Force’s top ISR official since January 2011.James, a 1978 Air Force Academy graduate, is retiring.
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.