German and US Airmen Train at Mountain Home: More than 300 German and USAF air and ground crews are working together at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, through Friday in the final stage of training for weapons instructors with the German Air Force Flying Training Center, based at Holloman AFB, N.M. The German airmen who will go on to be instructors for the German Tornado Interdiction Strike aircraft have to show their abilities to handle an integrated fighting scenario, according to Capt. Danny Lee, of the 366th Fighter Wing’s plans and programs office. Several units and aircraft are participating in the exercise, including a B-1 from Ellsworth AFB, S.D., as well as F-15Es and F-16s from Mountain Home.
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.