The South Dakota Air National Guard’s 114th Fighter Wing received the first of 22 Block 40 F-16s that will replace its Block 30 models Tuesday, when wing commander Col. Russ Walz flew the aircraft in to Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls from Hill AFB, Utah. The 114th FW’s 175th Fighter Squadron, which has flown the older Block 30 Vipers since 1991, expects to receive the remainder of the newer F-16s by September. Walz said of the switchover, “This aircraft conversion will ensure that the 175th Fighter Squadron remains ready and relevant for many years to come.” (Arrival announcement from the South Dakota National Guard’s Facebook page, find original announcement under Notes tab; also see 114th FW’s March 31 report by Lt. Col. Reid Christopherson)
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.