The Air Force reportedly is going to delay making a decision in the KC-X tanker replacement program until the end of February. Service officials had been shooting for a contract award at the end of this year, but just last month word came that it might be January. Now, staffers for Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) have told WKRG in Mobile that the decision won’t come until Feb. 29. Just last week five governors banned together to urge President Bush to consider the beneficial effect a tanker production facility in Mobile would have on the Katrina-strapped region.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…