Approximately 
200 airmen from Shaw AFB, S.C., and F-16s from Shaw’s 79th Fighter Squadron last week completed a Green Flag training exercise at Nellis AFB, Nev. The two weeks of training are designed to help prepare Air Force pilots and maintainers for upcoming deployments through realistic scenarios. They allow them to work with Army soldiers and Air Force joint terminal attack controllers. In this case, the Shaw airmen even had the opportunity to fly with B-1 bombers. “This is the capstone training event for both our pilots and maintainers,” said Capt. Patrick McGarry, 79th FS assistant director of operations. He added, “We simulate a deployed operations tempo, which helps maintenance gauge their readiness to operate as a deployed aircraft maintenance unit.” And the pilots have “an invaluable opportunity to practice communication with the JTACs and employment of precision weapons,” he noted. (Shaw report by SrA. Alexandria Mosness)
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.