Airmen and B-52 bombers from the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., competed in Air Force Global Strike Command’s Global Strike Challenge despite being deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam. One of the Minot B-52s dropped several practice bombs on a flight from Guam, which will be scored as part of the GSC. “We definitely want Minot to bring home the title,” said Capt. Christopher Saltares from Minot’s 23rd Bomb Squadron. Deployed flight crew, support airmen, and maintainers from Minot’s 23rd BS and 69th BS launched the sortie late last month, stated Minot officials in a Sept. 7 release. Members of Minot’s 5th BW and 91st Missile Wing are competing against airmen from other nuclear-capable bomber and ICBM bases, vying to be the best in categories like bomber and ICBM operations and maintenance, helicopter operations, and security forces. GSC kicked off in June; AFGSC officials will post the results at Barksdale AFB, La., on Nov. 7, states the release. (Minot report by A1C Andrew Crawford)
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.