Gen. Mike Hostage assumed command of Air Combat Command from Gen. William Fraser during a ceremony at JB Langley-Eustis, Va. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presided over Tuesday’s change-of-command ceremony. Hostage, who led Air Forces Central since August 2009, received his fourth star prior to taking ACC’s helm. “Your support during my time [at AFCENT] really made the difference,” he told the hundreds of airmen present. Schwartz said the Air Force has “complete confidence” in Hostage’s ability to excel as head of the combat air forces. “These last few years have presented some of the greatest possible challenges to the CAF as we sought to balance organizing, training, and equipping aircrews to win today’s war with preparing them for tomorrow’s needs,” noted Schwartz. Fraser, who served as ACC commander since September 2009, is moving to his new assignment as head of US Transportation Command at Scott AFB, Ill. (Langley release)
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.