Air Force Reserve Command expects to stand up the 44th Fighter Group at Holloman AFB, N.M., by next January to work side-by-side with Holloman’s active duty 49th Fighter Wing under a classic association to operate and sustain the 40 F-22 fighters that call Holloman home. The Reservists are currently operating at Holloman under the 301st Fighter Group, Det. 1. That group is a tenant of the 16th FW at NAS JRB Fort Worth-Carswell Field, Tex. Its members are moving to Holloman, along with airmen from AFRC’s 301st Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB, Ariz., to constitute the 44th FG. The group will have about 130 full-time Reservists and 330 personnel when at full strength, including F-22 pilots, maintenance and medical personnel, and support administrative staff. “We are picking up eight to 10 people a month,” said Col. Donald Lindberg, 301st FW, Det. 1 commander. (Holloman report by SrA. Rachel Kocin)
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.