The Air Force awarded Boeing a $326 million contract for 15,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition tailkits, according to a March 31 release. Work on the Lot 20 tailkits will be done at Boeing’s St. Louis, Mo., facility and is expected to be finished by March 29, 2018. The order also includes technical services task management, non-warranty support induction and evaluation, and system field support. The Air Force is working to rebuild its munitions stockpile to offset heavy use of preferred munitions, such as JDAMs and Hellfire missiles, against ISIS leaders and facilities in Iraq and Syria. The service’s Fiscal 2017 budget looks to fund 30,600 JDAMs and more than 1,500 Hellfire missiles, the preferred weapon on remotely piloted aircraft. (See also: Munitions Dominate Procurement).
Seven F-22 Raptor pilots have recently been awarded one of the military’s highest decorations for their actions during operations in the Middle East. Six of the pilots were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.