The Air Force plans to divest Vandenberg AFB, Calif., of its sole aircraft unit, the 76th Helicopter Squadron, next month, as part of its financial belt-tightening effort, reports the Santa Maria Times. The unit’s UH-1 helicopters will go to other Air Force Space Command units to support ICBM operations. The Vandy helicopters provided launch range support, overflying the range prior to launches. In the interim, the unit served as a rescue and firefighting resource.
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.
