The 
Defense Department’s Inspector General is investigating the probe conducted by an Air Force accident investigation board on the fatal F-22 crash in Alaska in November 2010. “The assessment will focus on the adherence of the AIB to the procedures set forth in Air Force Instruction (AFI) 51-503, ‘Aerospace Accident Investigations,'” wrote Randolph Stone, deputy IG for policy and oversight, to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley in a Jan. 25 letter. It will also “verify that AIB conclusions are supported by evidence of record consistent with standards of proof established by AFI 51-503,” states the missive. Bridget Serchak, an IG office spokeswoman, told the Daily Report “this project has just gotten underway,” so it’s not clear when the investigation will be complete. Pacific Air Forces accident investigators determined that the F-22 pilot’s failure to “recognize and initiate a timely dive recovery” was the most direct cause of the Raptor crash. They also cited contributing factors like training deficiencies in their report, released in December. Capt. Jeffrey Haney, a pilot assigned to JB Elmendorf, Alaska, lost his life in the crash. (AFI 51-503 full text and F-22 AIB report; caution, large sized documents.)
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.