As his F-15 Strike Eagle landed at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan last week, Lt. Col. Dave Iverson became the 15th pilot to have 3,000 flight hours on record in the Strike Eagle. SSgt. Craig Seals reports that the director of operations for the 492nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron was surprised when a bunch of his fellow squadron members and pilots came to congratulate him on the historic achievement. Iverson’s flight hours include 300 in combat; approximately 150 have been spent supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
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.