The Air Force has sent its first production Global Hawk UAVs to Southwest Asia. Previously, the service employed development models of the high-flying reconnaissance aircraft for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. USAF contracted for only nine production RQ-4A vehicles, which have enhanced sensors over the development aircraft. The Air Force has already awarded a production contract for the new, larger RQ-4Bs, which can carry twice the sensor payload of the A model.
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.