Lt. Gen. Burton Field, 5th Air Force commander, has certified a team from the 14th Fighter Squadron at Misawa AB, Japan, to be the Pacific Air Forces F-16 Demonstration Team. “PACAF’s F-16 Demonstration Team provides an example of what the United States Air Force brings to the table,” said Field. “We get a chance to showcase our Air Force capabilities and display our professionalism, our core values, and our ability to get the job done.” The crew includes one pilot, two narrators, and a maintenance team with four crew chiefs and five specialists responsible for the aircraft’s avionics systems and engines. “We have a great team,” said Capt. Chris Nations, the team’s pilot. (Misawa report by AB James B. Bauer)
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.