The 311th Airlift Squadron was inactivated Friday at Peterson AFB, Colo., as part of the Air Force’s plan to consolidate the C-21 fleet. “The 311th Airlift Squadron maintained a proud tradition of excellence and continued to uphold the highest standards of professionalism set by past airmen,” said Lt. Col. Mark Keener, the unit’s commander. “At any given time our unit was deployed providing valuable theater airlift in Southwest Asia, supporting warfighting efforts in Operations New Dawn, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom, as well as Combined Joint Task Force, Horn of Africa. We have provided world-class operational airlift support to our nation’s highest ranking civilians as well as senior military leaders.” The unit stood up as a geographically separated unit of the 375th Air Mobility Wing in 2005, but its origins can be traced back to 1975, according to a release.
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.