The Air Force formally has awarded Boeing a contract valued at $2 billion to produce 10 additional C-17 strategic transports—carrying through with a Congressional mandate written into the Fiscal 2007 defense bill. Boeing spokesperson Kerry Gildea said the additional aircraft are “already factored into Boeing’s C-17 production plan.” Coupling those 10 USAF airframes with international orders means the production line will run into late 2009. However, company officials have warned that if USAF—or Congress—wants more C-17s, the time to say so is now.
More than 20 tankers lined the runway at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., on March 27, for an “elephant walk” and the base’s largest mass launch of aircraft ever. Sixteen KC-46s and five KC-135s participated in the flush, with aircraft and Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing and the 931st…