Col. Fred Stoss III is the new commander for the 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., taking charge after Air Force Space Command announced last week it had relieved the previous commander, Col. Christopher Ayres. Stoss has served as vice commander of the 90th MW at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., since June 2008. He has served in various missile combat crew positions and nuclear mission-related staff and command assignments, including serving as the Air Staff’s chief of the nuclear operations division. The Minot Daily News reports that, when asked about the removal of his predecessor, Stoss told reporters, “This is a tough business we’re in. There are many requirements. The Minuteman … is a complex system, and it requires the utmost professionalism.” He added that he expects the 91st MW to have “the highest standards.”
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.