The 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa AB, Japan, redeployed its 14th Fighter Squadron airmen from Balad AB, Iraq, deploying in their stead airmen of the wing’s 13th FS for the current Air and Space Expeditionary Force rotation. First Lt. Shannon Collins reports that the 14th FS, supported by 35th FW maintainers, flew some 1,400 sorties for 5,800 hours over Iraq for AEF 6 and 7. The two units fly the Block 50 F-16CJ fighters, which normally conduct suppression of enemy air defense operations. In Iraq, though, they flew close air support, using their advanced targeting pods.
Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
