Representatives 
from the US military branches and their counterparts from 11 nations recently wrapped up Bold Quest 12-1 at Indiana’s Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center and other venues. The two-week Joint Staff-led exercise assessed how the approximately 440 participants gathered and shared combat identification information, according to a June 15 Pentagon release. The exercise’s premise is that coalition members operating together need to develop and test capabilities before employing them on the battlefield. This year’s scenarios centered largely on how a coalition would provide close air support, enhancing combat effectiveness while avoiding fratricide, said John Miller, operational manager for the exercise, in the release. Among the aircraft participating were Indiana Air Guard A-10s from the 122nd Fighter Wing at Ft. Wayne. Past Bold Quest iterations have helped validate technology that the partner nations have rushed to combat in Afghanistan. Joint terminal attack controllers have also used the exercises to certify equipment they use to communicate with air crews. (AFPS report by Donna Miles)
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.