The last of the KC-135 tankers that were flown and maintained by Air Force Reserve Command’s 940th Air Refueling Wing at Beale AFB, Calif., have departed for a new home at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. The Appeal-Democrat reports that the 940th’s last two tankers flew off amid a water spray farewell May 3. According to earlier reports, the shift of the final aircraft wasn’t expected until this fall. Now, as part of BRAC 2005, many personnel of the 940th ARW will comprise an associate unit with the active force at Beale, performing command and control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
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.