The Pentagon wants the Defense Science Board to tackle the question of whether the nation is able to sustain an adequate nuclear deterrent workforce. Pentagon acquisition chief Kenneth Krieg has instructed the DSB to form a task force to build upon the 1999 Chiles Commission report on maintaining nuclear weapons expertise and subsequent efforts by the Energy Department and the DSB’s own recent report covering DOD’s strategic forces skills. Krieg has appointed retired Adm. Henry Chiles as task force chairman.
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.