READINESS: The Air Force Has Grounded All Of Its B-1Bs Over A Fault In Their Ejection Seats. “An investigation into an in-flight emergency in May 2018 turned up the issue and the service doesn’t know when the jets will be back flying sorties.”

U.S. Air Force General Robin Rand, head of Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees all of the service’s combat-coded bombers, ordered the so-called “stand-down” on June 7, 2018. On May 1, 2018, a B-1B bomber assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base made an emergency landing at Midland International Air and Space Port in Midland, Texas after declaring an in-flight emergency. The incident involved a fire in one of the aircraft’s engines and resulted in an emergency exit hatch coming off in mid-air.

“During the safety investigation process following an emergency landing of a B-1B in Midland, Texas, an issue with ejection seat components was discovered that necessitated the stand-down,” Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees all over the service’s combat-coded bombers, said in a brief statement on June 8, 2018. “As issues are resolved aircraft will return to flight.”

Maybe the announcement could have waited until after the Singapore Summit.