Dover AFB, Del., was on lockdown for about three hours Thursday following reports of a “suspicious individual” on base, according to a May 8 release. The base-wide lockdown, which was implemented around 11 a.m., was lifted and normal base operations resumed by mid-afternoon. The lockdown was called “a precautionary measure” in response to reports of “a suspicious individual” on base. However, a spokesperson for the 436th Airlift Wing told Air Force Magazine there was “no shooter,” nor reports of a shooter on base, despite some media reports to the contrary. The unit’s vice wing commander, Col. Randy Huiss, said in a statement “[the] measures were taken to ensure the safety of the base populace as we investigated the reports and found them to be false.”
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.