Air Force Chief of Staff Michael Moseley said he’s killed the B-52 Standoff Jammer project once—when its cost ballooned from $1 billion to $7 billion—and he’s prepared to do it again if requirements get out of hand. Moseley told reporters Monday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference that the SOJ is back in the future years spending plan, but the details are still being worked out. The number to be modified could be around 36 aircraft. A big player in the final scheme for jamming will be what can be done with an unmanned vehicle that can stealthily penetrate enemy defenses, he said.
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.