The 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., earlier this month began retiring 38 of its A-10s as it prepares to receive 41 A-10s from other units over the next few months as part of a fleet-wide shift of assets, according to base officials. “The change comes from budget cuts in Congress,” said MSgt. Mark Molineaux, 355th FW A-10 divestiture team superintendent, in the base’s April 11 release. “Congress looked at all the A-10s in the fleet and decided which ones to get rid of based on the number of hours on the plane, body condition, and flying ability,” he added. The A-10s leaving the wing began entering the base’s 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, the Air Force’s aircraft boneyard, on April 8, states the release. The first incoming A-10 arrived on April 9 from Barksdale AFB, La. A-10s will also come from Osan AB, South Korea; Spangdahlem AB, Germany; and Whiteman AFB, Mo. (Davis-Monthan report by A1C Betty R. Chevalier)
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.