Lockheed Martin on Thursday turned over to Air Force officials the first C-5M Super Galaxy transport to roll off of the company’s production line in Marietta, Ga. “We are thrilled to add another superstar to the strategic airlift fleet for the Air Force,” said Lorraine Martin, Lockheed’s C-5 program vice president, at the handover ceremony in Marietta. Dover AFB, Del., will be home to the newly modified airframe, which is the fourth C-5M overall to enter the fleet. C-5Ms feature more fuel-efficient engines and more than 70 additional upgrades that boost their reliability. C-5Ms also boast new avionics. The previous three C-5Ms were modified before the production line was established. They are also based at Dover. The newly delivered C-5M is the first one to sport the new Super Galaxy tail flash and nose art. (Lockheed 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.