Iran has developed an advanced domestically made remotely piloted aircraft that takes off and lands vertically, reported Israel National News. The Iranians plan to unveil the new RPA in February, according to the Nov. 5 report, which cites Iranian news sources. The Iranians claim that the platform can hover in midair and fly in silence. Further, in a related vein, they asserted that the RPA they provided to Hezbollah that last month penetrated Israeli airspace is not the most sophisticated drone in Iran’s inventory, according to the report. The Israeli air force shot down the RPA, but not before Hezbollah said it obtained sensitive intelligence information on Israeli military installations.
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.