In a bipartisan 64 to 34 vote late Wednesday, the Senate decided to keep funding for more C-17 airlifters, trouncing an effort led by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to strip the 2010 defense spending bill of the $2.5 billion for 10 additional C-17s (see below). According to press reports (see Reuters news service report and Los Angeles Times report), McCain said he would continue his fight to end production of USAF’s newest airlifter. The Senate and House still must reconcile their two bills; the House version includes additional funding for three more C-17s. (How the Senators voted)
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.