An Air Force F-15E crashed Wednesday approximately 15 miles outside of a base in Southwest Asia, killing one crew member and injuring the second, announced Air Forces Central officials. Emergency response personnel brought the injured crew member to a military medical facility for treatment of minor injuries, they said. The Air Force has not released the name of the deceased airman, pending notification of kin. What is known is that the aircrew was deployed to the region from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. “This is obviously a very sad day for the Gunfighters, as we mourn the loss of one of our warriors,” said Col. Ron Buckley, commander of Mountain Home’s 366th Fighter Wing, in a release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this time.” The cause of the incident is under investigation. More details will be released as they become available, said the AFCENT officials.
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.