Crews from the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota AB, Japan, are aiding the Japanese government in mapping sea currents to determine the likely path of debris and contamination from the March tsunami that devastated Japan’s northeast coastline. C-130s from the unit dropped a series of seven drifter buoys off the northeast coast of Japan’s main island on April 29. Experts from the Naval Oceanographic Office and Japanese government will analyze the drift data in order to help ships avoid debris fields, and predict the path of hazards, such as radiation, should the future need arise. “This mission, a first of its kind for our 36th Airlift Squadron, represents our continued commitment to flying in support of disaster response operations following the devastating earthquake and tsunami,” said Col. Bill Knight, vice commander of Yokota’s 374th Airlift Wing. (Yokota report by A1C Katrina R. Menchaca)
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.