A contingent of airmen and B-52s from the 69th Bomb Squadron at Minot AFB, N.D.—the Air Force’s newest operational B-52 squadron—is set to deploy to Guam this week for the first time since the squadron’s reactivation in September 2009. This deployment, which is part of US Pacific Command’s continuous bomber presence at Andersen Air Force Base on the strategic island, also will mark the first time that the 5th Bomb Wing has had back-to-back deployments to Guam, reports the Minot Daily News. The 23rd BS is expected to return to Minot this week after a six-month stint at Andersen. The 69th BS’s elements also will be deployed for about six months.
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.