President Obama has tapped Adm. Samuel Locklear, the current commander of Allied Joint Forces Command, to lead US Pacific Command. If confirmed by the Senate, Locklear would replace Adm. Robert Willard, who has served in that position since October 2009. Locklear, a 1977 graduate of the Naval Academy, also currently serves as commander of US Naval Forces Europe, and head of US Naval Forces Africa. He commanded Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, the US-led portion of NATO’s engagement in Libya last year. The President and members of his cabinet have said the Pacific region will remain a US priority in the coming years. “The United States is a Pacific power, and we are here to stay,” said Obama during an official visit to the region in November. (AFPS report by Karen Parrish)
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.