Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) extolled the arrival of the New Jersey Air National Guard’s first R model KC-135 tankers, saying the aircraft would “ensure the survival of the 108th Air Refueling Wing. The wing is giving up its older KC-135E models for the newer R models, which have new engines that make them 90 percent quieter than the older model tankers. Saxton was instrumental in getting the 108th ARW, based at McGuire AFB, N.J., off the hit list during BRAC 2005.
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.

