The Boeing KC-X Finishing Center will be located in Wichita if the company wins the tanker replacement program competition, according to Republicans Rep. Todd Tiahrt and Sen. Pat Roberts. In a joint statement, the two Kansas lawmakers noted that the finishing center would employ approximately 300 to 500 people, adding to a total of around 1,000 direct Boeing and supplier jobs in Kansas that would work on the new tanker.
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.