Two F-15s from the 71st Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB, Va., on Monday departed the base for good as part of the unit’s pending inactivation. The two aircraft were flown to their new home with the 433rd Weapons Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev. The 71st FS is scheduled to lose all 20 of its F-15s before the end of September and then cease operations under the Air Force’s drawdown of about 250 legacy fighters. Langley’s remaining F-15s will transfer to Nellis, Kadena AB, Japan, and Air National Guard units in Louisiana and Oregon. The 71st FS completed it final deployment in May. (Langley photo caption by A1C Jason J. Brown)
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.