Uzbekistan has told NATO and its allies that they can no longer use the Central Asian country’s territory or airspace to support operations in Afghanistan. The Uzbeks earlier kicked the US military out of Karshi-Khanabad Air Base—the Pentagon paid its bill for use of the base earlier this month. (DR 11/21/05) The NATO deadline is Jan. 1. According to Associated Press news service, NATO officials say there are other capabilities available to ensure the mission is undeterred.
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.