The recently revealed plan by USAF to transfer some Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command C-130s to the active duty force has drawn the ire of 23 lawmakers who complained to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley in an April 8 letter. The move already attracted the attention of the Senate National Guard Caucus, whose chairmen—Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.)—also wrote Donley. Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) led the latest effort which urges Donley to provide “supporting data and analysis techniques” behind the decision. Schock and his colleagues declare the C-130 transfer is “in contravention” to USAF’s agreement with its reserve components on the active vs. reserve “airframe mix and will severely inhibit the ability of the National Guard and Reserve to effectively continue their mission during this time of war.” (Schock release; April 8 letter to Donley)
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.