According to a report by the Dayton Daily News, zeal for a top role in the unmanned aircraft arena has prompted the Dayton Development Coalition to try to garner support within Congress and the FAA for new airspace near Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to fly UAVs. “Having compatible airspace, that’s the Holy Grail, that’s the key to breaking into having a significant chunk of the UAV industry,” said Joe Zeis, chief strategist and a DDC vice president. So far, reports the newspaper, the FAA is “cool to the idea.”
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.