Former Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, who died Monday at age 86 in an airplane crash about 285 miles southwest of Anchorage, was considered a great friend of the Air Force during his long tenure in the Senate, according to feedback we’ve received. Among his deeds, he was a supporter of the F-22 program and played a pivotal role in promoting the legislation that authorized an Air Force memorial in the national capital region. Stevens was an Army Air Forces transport pilot during World War II in China. He went on to become the longest-serving Republican Senator in history, in office from 1968 to 2009. “Senator Ted Stevens devoted his career to serving the people of Alaska and fighting for our men and women in uniform,” said President Obama in a statement. (Stevens’ Congressional biography) (Obama statement) (See Anchorage Daily News report, CNN report, and New York Times report) (For reaction to Stevens’ death, see Associated Press report)
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.