President Obama has nominated Maj. Gen. Robin Rand for promotion to the rank of lieutenant general for his new assignment as commander of 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. Rand has been special assistant to the Air Force vice chief of staff since October 2010. He would fill the leadership post made vacant with the retirement of Lt. Gen. Glenn Spears, who led 12th AF since August 2009. (DOD release)
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.