We almost had a midair collision up here,’ the JetBlue pilot said. ‘They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous’

The new date—which is earlier than the “2028 or 2029” timeframe given earlier this year—emerged as an Air Force spokesperson confirmed to Defense One on Friday that the service would be giving Boeing an extra $15.5 million to upgrade the communications systems for the two VC-25Bs.

The United States Air Force maintains a complex network of installations designed to project air power and support global operations. There are many measurements by which to compare the bases that form the global network, but one of the simplest and most illustrative is the number of aircraft stationed at each one.