The 4th 
Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., has decommissioned the Satellite Mission Control Subsystem and Air Force Command Post Terminal. Airmen had used these command and control elements to operate the nation’s Milstar military communications satellites for the last 16 years, said Lt. Col. Douglas Schiess, 4th SOPS commander. Replacing them is the Advanced Satellite Mission Control Subsystem, which will control both legacy Milstar spacecraft and next-generation Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications satellites when they come on line. “This is a huge leap forward in capability for both our operators and our end users,” said Col. Wayne Monteith, commander of the 50th Space Wing the 4th SOPS’ parent unit. “We have proven this capability to provide combat effects to the warfighter much faster. This is a big day for us and it’s long overdue.” The decommissioning ceremony took place on April 11. (Schriever report by Jennifer Thibault)
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.