The Defense Department is still actively involved in evacuating US citizens from Lebanon to Cyprus and points beyond, with the total number of evacuees standing at 12,870 as of July 25. Air Force and DOD charter flights have airlifted more than 6,000 as of July 25 and were expected to transport nearly 4,000 more Wednesday. A Pentagon news release states that US forces have evacuated about 13,000 since the crisis in Lebanon on July 16. US military forces also are continuing to deliver supplies to Lebanon to aid some 600,000 Lebanese nationals displaced by the fighting.
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.