Air Force Reserve Command’s 815th Airlift Squadron from Keesler AFB, Miss., returns to Southwest Asia operations this month for the start of a new deployment with the newest Hercules, the C-130J. The Flying Jennies teamed with the Air National Guard in 2004 to put the first of the new Herks into action in the war on terror, even as the aircraft was still undergoing testing in the US. The 814th AS also has flown its J models around the world, showcasing the new airlifter at international air shows.
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.