Air Mobility Command boss Gen. Raymond Johns ferried the Air Force’s newest C-17 transport from Boeing’s assembly plant at Long Beach, Calif., to JB Lewis-McChord, Wash. “Every time our nation calls, you never hesitate,” said Johns, in addressing the airmen of the 62nd Airlift Wing and Air Force Reserve Command’s 446th AW upon delivering the C-17, already emblazoned with McChord’s green tail flash, to the joint base on Feb. 24. The two wings operate the base’s C-17 fleet under an association. With this airframe, Boeing has now supplied 216 of the 223 C-17s that the Air Force has ordered to date, Cindy Anderson, Boeing’s C-17 spokeswoman, told the Daily Report. Congress has appropriated funds for the Air Force to buy a total of 224 C-17s, meaning the service still has one to order. (McChord report by SSgt. Frances Kriss)
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.