Alenia North America last month flew the first of 18 G.222—military designation C-27A—that its parent Alenia Aeronautica is refurbishing near Naples, Italy, for use by the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps. According to a Sept. 3 release from the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisor Group, ANA is slated to receive a total of 20 C-27As, beginning in November. An Alenia NA release noted that the company will deliver the first aircraft this month and begin training USAF advisors in Afghanistan in their operation before the Combined Air Power Transition Force turns them over to the ANA. Deliveries are expected to continue through 2011. Select ANA pilots have been undergoing English language training in San Antonio, where they also will undergo an instrument flight rules course. USAF advisors then will indoctrinate them in the C-27A. Other Afghan airmen also recently completed a basic loadmaster course.
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.