The 27th Special Operations Maintenance Group at Cannon AFB, N.M., is the recipient of one of the Defense Secretary’s 2013 field-level maintenance awards, according to a Pentagon release. The group was the sole Air Force unit recognized this year in the annual program that recognizes outstanding achievements in weapon system and military equipment maintenance. The 27th SOMXG was a winner in the large category for field-level units, states the Sept. 27 release. The group is responsible for flight-line and backshop maintenance for AC-130s, MC-130Js, CV-22Bs, and MQ-1 and MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft. Group members will receive the award during a ceremony in the Pentagon on Oct. 30. (See also our coverage of the Air Force’s 2012 winners.)
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.