Maj. Gen. William McCasland is now in charge of the Air Force Research Lab after a change-of-command ceremony at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. McCasland succeeds Maj. Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, who is moving on to her next assignment as commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, Calif. The Senate has confirmed Pawlikowski’s nomination to receive a third star. She led AFRL since February 2010. McCasland’s prior assignment was as director of special programs in the Pentagon’s acquisition office, a position he held since June 2009. The change of command took place on May 13. (Wright-Patterson release)
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.