The Heavy Airlift Wing at Papa AB, Hungary, celebrated three years of operations. The wing has racked up more than 7,500 flight hours in about 500 missions with its three C-17s since its activation on July 27, 2009, according to US Air Forces in Europe’s July 30 release. It has moved massive amounts of cargo and some 27,000 passengers during that time. “This wing has flown relief missions to Haiti for earthquake relief and combat missions to Afghanistan,” said USAF Col. Keith Boone, wing commander. “We are proud of what we have accomplished in a short period of time.” Jointly operating the three C-17s are airmen from NATO members Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and the United States, and from NATO Partnership-for-Peace nations Finland and Sweden. The teaming arrangement gives the US partners access to strategic airlifters that they would not be able to afford to operate on their own. (Papa report by Gabe Myers)
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.