Conferees on the 2006 defense authorization bill eliminated a House-inspired “Buy America” provision that would have barred EADS from entering its Airbus aircraft in a USAF tanker competition, according to Associated Press news service. We took note, last summer, of the move by EADS to overcome the provision when it teamed with Northrop Grumman for development and production of the KC-30 as a replacement for USAF’s KC-135. Now, it appears that will not be necessary. President Bush is expected to sign the authorization measure soon.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.