A Pentagon release Friday stated that President Bush has nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Victor Renuart for a fourth star and to lead NORAD and US Northern Command. Defense Secretary Robert Gates had recommended Renuart for the position earlier this month, when he tapped Adm. Timothy Keating, current NORAD/NORTHCOM chief, to head US Pacific Command. Keating’s nomination already has gone to the Senate for confirmation.
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.