Boeing last fall connected the F-22 Mission Training Center at Langley AFB, Va., to USAF’s Distributed Mission Operations Network, according to a Feb. 4 release, making it possible for Langley F-22 pilots to train in the virtual world with pilots of other platforms at other locations. The Langley facility is the first of four F-22 training centers Boeing is to link to the DMON over the next three years. Mark McGraw, Boeing VP of training systems and services, said that the Langley F-22 MTC “was the first trainer in the industry to achieve first-pass success on its initial DMON testing.” The F-22 MTC also employed Agile Software Development for the first time, permitting faster assessment of component functionality. The other three F-22 MTCs are to be installed at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, and Holloman AFB, N.M.
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.