The Air Warfare Center at Nellis AFB, Nev., is anticipating the creation of the first F-35 weapons school even with arrival of the first Lightning IIs at USAF’s advanced fighter instructor facility still four years away. Paramount for Maj. Gen. Stanley Kresge, AWC commander, is to work with the Navy and Marine Corps since all three services will “fundamentally going to be flying the same aircraft.” He told American Forces Press Service, “If we are going to build a weapons school first, let’s partner on it and then make it easier for them to build their weapons school.” He added, “I think we can all benefit from close collaboration.” Kresge said he expects a cadre of F-35 test pilots and weapons school graduates in other airframes will work together to “come up with a syllabus, courseware, and academics” for the new fighter. (AFPS report by Donna Miles)
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.