The Air Force Reserve is focused on “moving capacity and capability into a more efficient and effective force structure,” said AFR Chief Lt. Gen. James Jackson. Speaking Aug. 9 at the Reserve Officers Association’s National Security Symposium in Washington, D.C., Jackson also said the Reserve needs “to remain Tier 1-ready” to support the Air Force’s needs. “We get programmed, planned, and trained to that Tier 1-ready level, [and] that allows us to bring it . . . every single day to the fight,” he said during a panel discussion. Further, Jackson said he “was disappointed” that the Pentagon’s recently completed Strategic Choices and Management Review “did not have more discussions concerning the Reserve component.” He said he anticipates that the forthcoming Quadrennial Defense Review will include those discussions.
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.