NATO deployed 17 E-3 AWACS aircraft to forward operating locations in Greece, Turkey, Italy, and Norway to allow runway work at the fleet’s home at Geilenkirchen AB, Germany. “Supporting operations from these locations is something the [AWACS] component envisioned and has been resourced to do since 1984,” said Maj. Gen. Andrew Mueller, who commands the alliance’s multinational E-3A fleet, in a May 9 release. “I am certain our component members at the [forward operating bases] and FOL are ready to sustain our outstanding mission success rate” supporting NATO forces in Afghanistan, patrolling Eastern European skies, and other taskings, he added. Repaving Geilenkirchen’s 30-year-old runway will take 16 weeks, according to the release. The 10,000-foot strip will open for three days every two weeks to allow limited air traffic, though the AWACS force will remain deployed until work is complete. The last E-3A departed Germany for Konya AB, Turkey, on May 8. (Geilenkirchen report by SSgt. Richard Longoria)
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.