The Air Force’s F-15E fleet recently eclipsed 8,000 combat flight hours during a mission of the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The F-15E on this historic mission provided overhead security during helicopter re-supply of a remote area and also coordinated communications between the helicopters and coalition forces on the ground. The 336th EFS comprises elements of the 336th FS from Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. The aircrew for the mission was pilot Capt. Jaina Donberg, a native of Arlington, Va., and weapon systems officer Capt. Nick Foster, a native of Martinsburg, W.Va. SrA. John Yates, a native of Pawtucket, R.I., was the crew chief. (Bagram report by Capt. David Faggard)
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.