Maintainers at Tyndall AFB, Fla., have exceeded the mission capable rate for the F-22 Raptor and met the rate for the F-15 Eagles in their charge. Airmen of the 325th Maintenance Group produced a “remarkable feat,” said Robert Taylor, maintenance analysis chief of the Maintenance Operations Squadron, in reaching an MC rate of 65.4, besting the Raptor goal of 65. And, the group’s F-15 maintainers got the Eagles back “to full speed in minimal time” after the fleet-wide standdown, noted Lt. Col. Warren Benjamin, 325th Operations Group deputy commander. Tyndall serves as USAF’s primary F-22 and F-15 combat training base. (Tyndall report by A1C Veronica McMahon)
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.