A-10s, F-15Es, and a B-1B bomber struck enemy combatants engaging friendly forces with 500-pound laser-guided bombs and 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions May 9 in Asadabad, Afghanistan, Air Forces Central announced May 10. A joint terminal attack controller confirmed the success of the missions. In Bari Kowt, a B-1B took out enemy forces with a 2,000-pound JDAM and 500-pound JDAMs. In Iraq on May 9, an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle fired a Hellfire missile and Navy F/A-18 Hornets dropped 500-pound JDAMs to destroy rocket rails, mortar positions, and enemy combatants in Baghdad, AFCENT said.
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.