An MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle took out enemy combatants with a Hellfire missile May 18 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Air Forces Central announced May 19. These combatants were engaging friendly forces with rocket-propelled grenades. Also on that day, A B-1B bomber dropped 500-pound joint direct attack munitions on enemy combatants that were engaging friendly forces in Deh Chopan, Afghanistan.
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.