House defense authorizers reaffirmed their desire that USAF keep 76 B-52 bombers, rather than dropping down to 56 as proposed in the President’s 2008 budget request. In their version of the new defense bill, they provide $106.4 million to upgrade and maintain the entire fleet of 76, until USAF comes up with a replacement platform, currently on the Pentagon agenda for around 2018. Lawmakers have repeatedly expressed skepticism that USAF can meet that aggressive timetable.
The first flight of the secretive B-21 bomber has slipped to mid-2022, but the program is moving along well, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director Randall Walden said in an exclusive interview. The second copy of the B-21, which will be used for structural testing, is now on the production…