USAF aircraft and personnel are taking part in the Hurricane Matthew relief effort in Haiti. C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules aircraft from Dover AFB, Del., Dyess AFB, Texas, Little Rock AFB, Ark, and JB Charleston, S.C., delivered supplies and personnel needed to sustain flight and maintenance operations for aircraft in Haiti to Soto Cano AB, Honduras, last week. US Southern Command deployed two CH-53E Super Stallions, three CH-47 Chinooks, two UH-60L Black Hawks, two HH-60L Black Hawks, and about 200 service members, including airmen, to support the US Agency for International Development-led relief mission, according to a release. “From the start of this mission, the Marine, Army, and Air Force logisticians have brought together their respective areas of expertise to push the cargo and passengers out to enable this humanitarian support in Haiti,” said USAF Capt. Kimber Robinson, the joint task force’s director of logistics, according to the release. “No one has focused solely on their service’s equipment and people, but are concerned about getting what is needed to support the joint element moving forward and ensure they have clean water, food, maintenance and life support. It’s truly a joint effort.” A 34-member team from the 621st Contingency Response Wing at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., deployed Oct. 6 to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to assist with moving humanitarian aid and cargo, according to an 18th Air Force release.
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.