Air Force cargo aircraft last month set another record in Afghanistan, by air dropping more than 4.1 million pounds of supplies to troops at forward operating bases, combat outposts, and other austere locations across that rugged nation. This total eclipsed the previous record of 3.8 million pounds for a single month that was set in August of this year. It also marked the fourth consecutive month of increase, according to Air Forces Central. “The increase in airdropped supplies reflects the Air Force’s ability to adapt to support shifting conditions on the ground and provide direct support to the forces actively engaged in counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan,” said Col. Keith Boone, director of the air mobility division in the combined air and space operations center that runs the air campaigns in Afghanistan and elsewhere in Southwest Asia. (AFCENT report by Capt Frank Hartnett)
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.