The Air Force last week awarded Boeing $4 billion toward the company’s ongoing activities to upgrade Saudi Arabia’s fleet of 70 F-15s to the new “SA” standard. This F-15 model includes an advanced electronically scanned array radar, among its modern features. Work under this new contract is scheduled for completion by the end of 2019, according to the description in the Pentagon’s list of major contracts for Nov. 2. This award builds upon a $1.8 billion contract awarded in June for these conversions, which fall under the larger $29.4 billion foreign military sales deal with the Saudis that also includes Boeing supplying 84 new-build F-15SAs. In March, Boeing received $11.4 billion towards its work on the new fighters.
Members of the Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing helped save 11 airplane crash survivors off the coast of Florida on May 12. The Reserve Airmen were flying an HC-130J Combat King II and an HH-60W Jolly Green II on a routine training flight when a Coast Guard call diverted…