The airmen of the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron have flown more than 2,000 combat missions supporting operations in Afghanistan since Operation Enduring Freedom began there in fall 2001. The airmen, deployed from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., operate and maintain the service’s few and elderly EC-130H Compass Call aircraft along with their counterparts in the 43rd EECS, who provide the same capability to disrupt enemy command and control communications for operations in Iraq. The 43rd EECS marked passage of its 3,000th sortie earlier this year. As operations ramp up in Afghanistan, the numbers for the 41st EECS are likely to go up faster. (Bagram report by Capt. David Faggard)
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.