President Obama on Friday signed a continuing resolution to keep the government open through April, shortly after Senate approval. The Senate approved the bill by 63-36 vote on Friday after Democratic senators, led by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), stopped delaying the bill over their concern related to health benefits for coal miners. The bill authorizes spending to maintain a number of key military programs, including KC-46 development and procurement of weapons needed in the fight against ISIS. The long-term resolution has been criticized by some, including Pentagon and Air Force leadership, for ham-stringing the department’s ability to operate for two-thirds of the fiscal year. The bill picked up some Republican opposition, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) who has said the bill would delay equipment for the military and limit operations in Afghanistan.
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…