According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is only weeks away from getting a name—final recommendations are being “closely guarded” by top Air Force officials. The paper reports that the Air Force did ask for options from the other military services and eight partner nations. The three prime purchasers of the new fighter all follow different naming themes. USAF favors birds of prey for its fighters, while the Navy has Tomcat and Hornet, and Britain’s Royal Air Force has Tornado and Typhoon.
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.