F-15Es dropped 500-pound laser-guided bombs and 500-pound and 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions on enemy combatants engaging friendly forces in the vicinity of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on July 5, Air Forces Central said in a release. Also, A-10s attacked anti-Afghan government forces with 500-pound LGBs near Zormat and a B-1B struck enemy combatants near Musa Qaleh with 500-pound JDAMs. All of these missions were reported by on-scene joint terminal attack controllers as being successful, AFCENT said. In total, there were 43 close-air-support missions in Afghanistan and 55 in Iraq on July 5.
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.