Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that President Obama will nominate Army Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander for promotion to four stars and to take command of the new US Cyber Command under US Strategic Command in addition to continuing as director of the National Security Agency and chief of Central Security Service. All three posts would be headquartered at Ft. Meade, Md. In June, Gates directed STRATCOM boss, Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, to establish the new Cyber Command and, at the time, indicated that he wanted Alexander to be the first commander. Alexander will need Senate confirmation.
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.