The Defense Science Board’s good rep faces a keen challenge with a 2006 summer study tasking—identify new ways the military can “counter or negate [non-state actor] safe havens and provide more effective capability in the new mission areas [of stability operations and domestic civil support].” There are six other pieces to this tasking, which the Pentagon has called “The 2006 Summer Study on 21st Century Strategic Technology Vectors.” The tasks range from a review of previous attempts to identify critical technologies covering these missions to identification of “mechanisms to accelerate and assure” technology transition into military capabilities. Whew!
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.
