Officials with the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess AFB, Tex., welcomed the arrival of the unit’s 27th factory-fresh C-130J transport, leaving it one airframe shy of its planned full complement, according to a base release. Brig. Gen. Scott Goodwin, Air Mobility Command’s director of operations, ferried the C-130J, aircraft number 5724, from Lockheed Martin’s manufacturing plant in Marietta, Ga., to Dyess on May 22, states the company’s release. Dyess is slated to receive its final C-130J later this year. At full strength, the Texas base will host the largest Super Hercules force in the world, according to the company. The previous C-130J, Dyess’ 26th Super Hercules, arrived at the base in March. The C-130Js are replacing the group’s C-130H airplanes. (Dyess photo caption by SrA. Jonathan Stefanko)
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.