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diverse group of airmen—civil engineers, logistics readiness and communications specialists, and unmanned aerial vehicle maintainers—have been working round the clock for about two months to beddown the MQ-1 Predator UAV at Ali Base, Iraq. TSgt. Phyllis Hanson reports that civil engineers laid more than 30,000 cubic meters of gravel, clay, and concrete and constructed four hangars, while the loggies kept the supplies flowing and equipment running. When the hangars went up, the Predator maintainers began reassembling the Predators packed for shipment.
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.