The 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB, N.M., welcomed its second new-build MC-130J Combat Shadow II aircraft. Gen. Edward Rice, head of Air Education and Training Command, accepted delivery of aircraft No. 5682 for the training unit on Tuesday. He called it “an honor” to accept the newest member of Kirtland’s fleet. The MC-130J came to Kirtland from Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Marietta, Ga. The Air Force is procuring a fleet of MC-130Js to replace its older MC-130 special-mission aircraft. (Lockheed Martin 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.