Local and state officials plan to fight a decision by the Air Force to permanently prohibit hikers, bicyclists, and horse riders from using a public road that crosses Vandenberg Air Force Base property to reach Point Sal Beach, reports the Santa Maria Times. The action apparently took effect in January, but local California officials found out “weeks” later. A statement from Vandenberg released last week noted “extreme safety concerns in the area.”
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.