Two Air Force Reserve Command KC-135s from March ARB, Calif., are in Australia, where they’re supplying aerial refueling for forces participating in the US Pacific Command-directed Talisman Saber, an exercise designed to increase interoperability between US and Australian forces. During an initial sortie for the exercise, which runs through July 25, the Reserve airmen of the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron refueled two B-52 bombers deployed from Barksdale AFB, La. Both the USAF tanker and bomber forces are part of the latest PACOM theater security package rotation that is operating out of Andersen AFB, Guam, through August. (Andersen report by SSgt. Jennifer Redente)
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.