The Air Force has been talking with lawmakers behind the scenes over the past few weeks and already has run its yet-to-be-released final request for proposals around Capitol Hill, reports the Congressional newspaper The Hill. The service has been put on notice by Northrop Grumman, who fears its Northrop-EADS team KC-30 will not fare well in a head-to-head with Boeing’s KC-767, that it may opt out of the competition. If so, then there is no competition, and that would sour the entire program for key lawmakers. Both Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), leader of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) want a “real” competition.
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.
