Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told reporters Sept. 15 at AFA’s Air & Space Conference that he supports in principle the Air National Guard leadership’s calls for concurrent and proportionate fielding of the new equipment that the active duty gets. But Schwartz also said he regards this approach as touching not just upon recapitalization but also on the Air Guard’s willingness, along with the entire Total Force, to adopt new roles and let go of others. “If the Air Force is changing and we’re adapting and we’re doing less of some things and more of other, I think concurrent and proportionate applies equally to the National Guard,” said Schwartz. Continue
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.