The 
Air National Guard’s fleet of C-27J transports remains grounded a little more than one week after Aeronautical Systems Center officials at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, suspended flight operations following a flight control problem with one of these airplanes during a training sortie on July 10. “This is a precautionary measure while the Air Force and C-27J industry team investigate the incident,” service spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told the Daily Report on July 18. She added, “The program office is working with the C-27J prime contractor L-3 Communications and the aircraft manufacturer Alenia Aermacchi to resolve the matter as quickly as possible and return the C-27J fleet to normal flight operations.” The Air Force last month ceased operating C-27Js in Afghanistan and service officials have said they do not plan to return the mini airlifters to that theater. Despite the Air Force’s desire to divest the C-27J fleet starting in Fiscal 2013, Congress appears set to prohibit any such plans from kicking in next fiscal year.
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.