Without forces of its own, the fledgling 17th Air Force/Air Forces Africa can plan theater security cooperation events but has to request assistance to carry them out, like recently engaging 18 airmen from Ramstein AB, Germany, and two Army Reservists from Tennessee to train Uganda military members in humanitarian airdrop procedures. “Once we have a basic plan in place, we have to request for forces through the Air Staff to find those airmen who will travel to the [African] continent to make it happen,” said Col. Don Kochanski, AFAFRICA’s director of plans and engagements. As for this latest effort to Uganda, the commander of Entebbe Air Base, Col. Kaija Ham, said, “This course has come at a right time, when we need it most.” (17th AF report by Maj. Paula Kurtz)
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.