Technicians at the Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah, were able to repair a damaged F-16—slated for a one-way ticket out of the active inventory—avoiding several thousand dollars in commercial repair costs and lengthy down time, according to ALC officials. Technicians of the 649th Combat Logistics Support Squadron have the equipment—in this case, what’s called a production fixture that supports the full aircraft as they removed load bearing panels—and expertise “necessary to perform repairs on aircraft that would otherwise be removed from the active inventory,” said 1st Lt. Joshua Holmes, 649th maintenance officer in charge. The fighter had an inch-long crack around one wing-attach bolt, calling for replacement of the left wing closure beam, said Holmes.
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.
