The 386th Air Expeditionary Wing launched a new centralized repair facility in Southwest Asia for HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters. “Long term, this is going to be a huge gain for the Air Force,” said Maj. Michael Campos, 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron commander. “This small team is, at the end of the day, going to get the combat search and rescue assets in the [area of responsibility] back into the fight quicker.” Comprised of a total of four airmen—two maintainers and two supply personnel—the facility is collocated with an Army theater aviation support unit, allowing it to take advantage of the land service’s UH-60 Blackhawk supply chain in theater. Before the CRF, airmen had to return Pave Hawk engines and components to the United States for service. (386th AEW report by SSgt. Patrice Clarke)
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.