Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz, head of US Transportation Command, said Monday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference that the 10 additional C-17s likely to be approved by Congress won’t throw a monkey wrench into plans for the Civil Reserve Air Fleet. Schwartz has said that more C-17s would take money away from CRAF contracts, which are needed to supplement the airlift fleet. Schwartz told Air Force Magazine that “my number is about 200” C-17s in total before fleet operating cost starts to dig into CRAF money. With 10 more C-17s the total would stand at 191.
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.
