F-15s from Kadena AB, Japan, scrimmaged against Royal Malaysian Air Force fighters in a friendly duel for Exercise Cope Taufan, hosted at RMAF Butterworth in northwest Malaysia. Squaring off against Malaysian F-18s, Mig-29s, and Hawk 208s, USAF pilots enjoyed a “tremendous opportunity to improve tactics . . . at a deployed base while enhancing our partnership,” said Lt. Gen. Stanley Kresge, 13th Air Force commander. “These exercises also give our airmen a chance to get involved with unique cultures and work with airmen from different countries,” added 1st Lt. Riley Hestermann, in charge of Kadena’s 67th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. Pacific Air Forces has sponsored a live-flight exercise with the RMAF biennially since the 1980s, according to the command. This year F-15s from Kadena’s 67th Fighter Squadron participated in last week’s exercise along with more than 100 pilots and support personnel. (Butterworth report by MSgt. Matt Summers)
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.