The Air Force has selected Maj. Josh Wood, currently serving as the weapons chief for the 56th Operations Support Squadron at Luke AFB, Ariz., for its fledgling F-35 strike fighter force. He will join the F-35 team at Eglin AFB, Fla., after a one-year short tour in South Korea, set to begin in about a month. The service last year announced selection of two other Luke veterans—Lt. Col. Stephen Pieper and Maj. Chad Lewis— for the F-35 program. And, as we reported last fall, various news reports have identified other pilots tapped for the initial F-35 instructor cadre. (Includes 56th Fighter Wing report by Justin Oakes)
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.