A B-1B bomber dropped a 2,000-pound joint direct attack munition on enemy combatants in Maimana, Afghanistan, April 28, Air Forces Central said in an April 29 release. Coalition aircraft carried out a total of 26 close air support missions in Afghanistan on that day, including F-15Es taking out enemy positions in Nangalam with 2,000-pound JDAMs, and British Royal Air Force GR9 Harriers dropping enhanced paveway II bombs on enemy combatants in a building near Garmsir. In Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 50 CAS missions, AFCENT said.
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.