Massive 9.0 earthquake strikes Japan; major tsunami follows. US military aid efforts include assistance to Japanese forces, delivery of more than two million gallons of water, 189 tons of food, 11,960 gallons of fuel, and 100 tons of other relief supplies via air and sea under the Japan Self- Defense Force-led Operation Tomodachi. US military assistance includes some 140 aircraft, more than 20 ships, and about 20,000 personnel-above those already stationed in Japan.
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.
