The Air Force’s upgraded E-3G Sentry made its Pacific debut last month. The 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, Okla., deployed the upgraded Airborne Warning and Control System Block 40/45 to PACAF in March, flying the first E-3G sortie over the Korean peninsula on March 18, according an April 15 Tinker release. The aircraft was stationed at Kadena AB, Japan, from March 12-22 and also flew missions alongside the Japanese Self Defense Forces. The AWACS helped control other aircraft in aerial interdiction, counter-air, and suppression of enemy air defense training missions, 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron Detachment Commander Maj. Jonathan Ritsema said in a release. The upgraded AWACS made its combat debut in November. The aircraft’s $2.7 billion upgrade program includes modern communications, enhanced computer processing, and improved threat tracking.
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.
