As the Air Force looks to pare down its budget, service leaders must make sure a cut to one program doesn’t have unintended consequences further down the line, said CMSAF James Roy last week during AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. As an airman goes through his career, his experiences, education, and training are all linked, he said. “We have some of the best technicians in the world and we have some of the most advanced equipment in the world,” said Roy. “We need to make sure that is sound.” The question, though, is how to bring an airman’s experiences, education, and training together operationally without losing sight of the strategic focus, he said during his Feb. 24 address.
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.