The Air Force plans to inactivate the 689th Combat Communications Wing at Robins AFB, Ga., and the 3rd Combat Communications Group at Tinker AFB, Okla., in September as part of Fiscal 2013 force structure changes, announced service officials. The actions, which will affect more than 730 airmen and civilians, will downsize deployable communications capability to match the Air Force’s reduction in combat air forces, according to the service’s June 5 release. After these inactivations, the 5th CCG at Robins “will have sole responsibility for Air Force combat communications missions,” states the release. The 689th CCW is the headquarters organization for the 3rd CCG and 5th CCG. Once the wing and 3rd CCG stand down, the 5th CCG will realign as a direct reporting unit to 24th Air Force, states the release. The numbered air force, a part of Air Force Space Command, is the Air Force’s cyber operations arm headquartered at JBSA-Lackland, Tex.
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.