Maintainers with Air Force Reserve Command’s 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell AFB, Ala., recently completed a comprehensive isochronal inspection of the first C-130 that has received the Avionics Modernization Program upgrade, according to a Sept. 26 release. Wing personnel worked with Boeing technicians to “complete inspections of the aircraft needed to continue its test regime at Edwards [AFB, Calif.],” said col. Kerry Kohler, 908th Maintenance Group commander. Earlier this month, Boeing declared it would be ready early next year to move into Low Rate Initial Production for the C-130 AMP, following software validation during test flights at Edwards. (Maxwell report by Carl Bergquist)
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.