Despite the extended stand-down of its key air defense fighter, the F-15 Eagle, Air Forces Northern conducted 150 fighter sorties over North America in December. Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command fighters flew the majority of sorties, and Air Guard and Reserve tankers covered all 50 air refueling sorties for the month. Since 9/11, Operation Noble Eagle aircraft have flown more than 181,000 flying hours. (See Data Points.)
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.