Two Air Force C-130s from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein AB, Germany, have delivered the first loads of US firefighting equipment to Russia. The US is providing about $4.5 million of gear to help the Russians battle huge raging wildfires around Moscow, including fires that were threatening a nuclear research facility in Sarov. The two C-130s touched down at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Aug. 14 (Moscow time). A charter flight followed with gear supplied by the State of California. The gear includes water tanks, pumps, hand tools, fire protective clothing, and medical kits. Two additional C-130 flights were planned, along with another charter flight, according to US officials. (Ramstein photo caption by MSgt. Keith Houin) (See also Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty report, and Times of Malta report.)
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.