The Air Force has let the contract with Boeing for five more C-17s, bringing its total order so far to 218, just five shy of completing its 223-aircraft program of record. Boeing earlier this month received $963 million for these five aircraft. Jerry Drelling, Boeing C-17 spokesman, told the Daily Report that these aircraft are part of the 10 for which Congress appropriated funds in Fiscal 2010. He said Boeing expects the contract for the Air Force’s five final C-17s around September. As of earlier this month, the Air Force had taken delivery of 210 C-17s. (See DOD’s May 16 list of major contracts.)
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan flew an unusual trilateral flight with two U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bombers escorted by two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and two ROK Air Force KF-16 fighters—both countries’ respective variants of the F-16—July 11. That same weekend, the top military officers of the three nations…