Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters during a visit to Air Force and Army units in Washington State that he has ordered the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to help cover operations in Afghanistan, where anti-Afghan government attacks have increased, particularly along the Pakistan border. The Lincoln has been supporting coalition action in Iraq, working from the Persian Gulf and is now to operate from the Gulf of Oman, where it will be closer to Afghanistan. US and NATO commanders in Afghanistan have been asking for more air and ground support.
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.