The Arizona Air National Guard’s F-16s from the 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson Airport will be doing their flying out of Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., while the Tucson runway undergoes maintenance. The Tucson Citizen reports that influx of more military aircraft to Davis-Monthan prompted Air Force officials to ensure the surrounding residents that the new guys will abide by recent changes in flying patterns and flying times to keep the noise down. The host unit, the 355th Fighter Wing, has incrementally implemented new noise abatement measures since the first of the year.
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.