Gen. Michael 
Moseley, new Air Force Chief of Staff, says the current analysis of alternatives for a replacement tanker aircraft offers “options across the board” for this new refueler. They comprise concepts ranging from re-engining old aircraft to new procurement, from big aerial tanks to medium-sized tankers. He has not publicly discussed his view of what the best solution might be. He does say there probably is no one who would disagree that “the key to global mobility, global intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance, and global strike—on the air breathing side—is the tanker.”
B-21 Raider Conducts First Weapons Release Test
Nov. 13, 2026
The B-21 Raider conducted a weapons release test for the first time, the Air Force and manufacturer Northrop Grumman said Nov. 13. The weapons release, which took place the first week of November, marked the aircraft’s transition from a flight test aircraft to a functional weapons platform.