California’s state fire marshal, Kate Dargan, stated publicly last week that she had “never seen a combined state and federal response like we saw this go-round,” in which US Northern Command played a key role. Sgt. 1st Class Gail Braymen reports that Dargan said NORTHCOM officials “never gave a bureaucratic answer;” instead they “never said no,” figuring out how to provide whatever the state requested. She went on to say, that NORTHCOM and California are “sophisticated responders, and we can partner in a way that will set models for the rest of the country.”
Boeing’s receipt of the 10th lot contract award for the KC-46 Pegasus this week leaves just three lots left to complete the Air Force’s buy of the tanker, although a further buy of 75 additional aircraft as a “bridge” to the Next-Generation Aerial-refueling System (NGAS) seems increasingly likely.