Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, home to aircraft including the C-17 and F-22, on Sept. 1 became the first Air Force base in the Pacific Rim to blend a thermally stable additive known as Plus 100 to its JP-8 aviation fuel. The additive is said to prevent engine coking and carbon buildup. Preventing these is expected to greatly reduce engine maintenance. (Elmendorf report by A1C Christopher Gross)
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.