President Obama intends to nominate Ash Carter to be the next deputy defense secretary, announced the White House Tuesday. Carter has been the Pentagon’s acquisition executive since April 2009. He would replace Bill Lynn, who is retiring from that post after having had that job since February 2009. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday he is “delighted” with Obama’s decision. Carter has “excelled in his current role” and “I look forward to having Ash as my partner” in solving DOD’s strategic management challenges, said Panetta. The Senate must approve of Carter for the new post, once it has the nomination in hand. Carter has been a leader in the Defense Department’s efforts to run more efficiently in order to free up funds for personnel and modernization. Pentagon officials have not announced Carter’s successor in the acquisition shop yet. (AFPS report by Lisa Daniel) (White House release) (Panetta statement)
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.