VC-25 and KC-135E Headed for Wichita Spa:

Oct. 12, 2005

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Boeing has won two contracts for its Wichita-based development and modification center, valued at a combined $126 million. One contract is for $81 million of work on the presidential fleet of two modified Boeing 747-200Bs—designated VC-25As by the Air Force and given the call sign “Air Force One” when transporting the President. The other work is for a $45 million remanufacturing effort on the engine struts of KC-135E tankers. The contract stipulates that 72 engine struts are required by March 2008.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

Flu Vaccine Now Required for Many Airmen, Guardians, and DAF Civilians

Promotions for Space Force’s Second-Highest Enlisted Rank Explode

New Analysis: Air Force Should Buy 250 Blended-Wing Tankers, as 2027 Demo Looms

Pentagon Starting with Resilient Energy for Sweeping ‘FORTRESS America’ Project

Related

Key Midterm Election Races to Watch for the Air Force and Space Force

Nov. 2, 2026
Dozens of former Airmen are running for Congress in the 2026 midterms, with Election Day fast approaching on Nov. 3. But the potential impact of the election for the Air Force and Space Force goes beyond just the number of former service members on Capitol Hill—the results will also decide…

Flu Vaccine Now Required for Many Airmen, Guardians, and DAF Civilians

Oct. 31, 2026
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.

Promotions for Space Force’s Second-Highest Enlisted Rank Explode

Oct. 30, 2026
Promotions to the Space Force’s second highest enlisted grade, senior master sergeant, have surged to the highest level in the young service’s history, bolstering the senior NCO corps as officials plan to aggressively expand the force and especially the enlisted corps.

New Analysis: Air Force Should Buy 250 Blended-Wing Tankers, as 2027 Demo Looms

Oct. 29, 2026
A new think tank analysis finds a hypothetical blended-wing body tanker could offer twice as much refueling performance as the KC-46A Pegasus and recommends the Air Force buy scores of them, as the service prepares to evaluate a BWB demonstrator next year and must juggle its future tanker plans with…

Gulf War Air Campaign Map Featured in New Smithsonian Exhibit

Oct. 29, 2026
A map pinned to the wall in a basement 36 years ago will go on display in November at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. The map, used to identify strategic targets across Iraq in the fall of 1990, was used in the planning of Operation Desert Storm, and…

When Will US Transfer Operational Control to South Korea? Debate Rages

Oct. 29, 2026
For years, U.S. and South Korean officials have said they want to reach an arrangement where, should war break out on the peninsula, Seoul’s military commanders would have operational control of American forces there. Such a setup would be unprecedented in modern times and what it would mean for U.S.…

AFRL Plans to Award $30M for Cislunar Project Starting Next Spring

Oct. 29, 2026
The Air Force Research Laboratory plans to launch its latest technology challenge next month—a project meant to speed up development of systems that can operate beyond geosynchronous orbit. SpaceWERX is leading the effort, dubbed Cislunar Prime. The space innovation hub is looking for commercial capabilities that could put the Space Force…

Your Program Needs Outcomes, Not Outputs

Oct. 29, 2026
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.orgThe Department of War is making its acquisition leaders accountable for mission...