The Air Force has released a statement declaring that the problem that prompted the service to interrupt the deployment of 12 F-22A Raptors to the Japanese island of Okinawa last week should be fixed “within the next several days.” A 13th Air Force spokesman told Daily Report on Monday that multiple aircraft in the flight from Hickam AFB, Hawaii, had experienced a navigational software glitch, prompting their return to Hickam. In a Feb. 14 statement, Lt. Gen. Loyd Utterback, 13th AF commander, calls the problem “a minor issue.” He said safety concerns always take precedence.
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.