Lt. Gen. Christopher Kelly told members of the House Armed Services Committee last night that USAF could buy 50 new tankers with the $6.1 billion the service would save through 2030 simply by retiring the oldest KC-135Es by 2010. It would not pay, he asserted, to re-engine these oldest tankers. Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman told reporters during a break in the hearing that the service expected to issue a request for information to industry within the next month and will have an official request for proposals out by fall. (Watch this space for more hearing coverage.)
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
