The Air Force has awarded Boeing a $148 million contract to start work on the fourth Wideband Gapfiller Satellite, known as WGS F4. The company already is working on the first three WGS satellites. USAF expects the system to bridge the gap between present-day communications satellites and the next-generation communication sats. The first WGS launch now is slated for June 2007.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.