Senior Iraqi air force leaders toured Joint Base Balad to acquire a better understanding of the base layout, runways, facilities, and fighter aircraft operations. This is part of their preparations to retake control of the base when the US military moves out of the country later this year. “This facility will be theirs in a few months and we want to talk about how we are going to hand it over to them and what condition [the base] is in, so we can better understand and plan together as a team on how they can have an effective air base as soon as we leave,” said Brig. Gen. Anthony Rock, director of the Iraq Training and Advisory Mission-Air. If the Iraqi government goes forward with the planned purchase of F-16 fighters, they would likely call Balad home, said Rock. (Balad report by SrA. Tong Duong)
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.