The US Air Force is assisting Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, and the Israeli Air Force in determining the source of a type of formaldehyde found in IAF F-16 fighters, reports the Jerusalem Post. The problem erupted earlier this year when Israeli pilots noticed a strange smell in one fighter that later proved to be a type of formaldehyde that is known to cause cancer, prompting the IAF to ground the fighters. The US Air Force has not had a similar problem with its F-16s, according to Air Combat Command boss Gen. John Corley. The IAF is installing special filters that appear to work to eliminate the problem in some of the aircraft but not all.
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.