The 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB, N.M., now has the “required assets available” to begin training Air Force Special Operations airmen on the new CV-22 tiltrotor aircraft. The RAA signifies that the 58th has the requisite number of instructors, aircraft, and maintenance crews to aircrew training. In fact, a Feb. 13 news release states the first class of pilots and flight engineers began on Jan. 30. AFSOC expects to declare initial operational capability with the Osprey in January 2009.
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.
