The Air Force announced five candidate bases for the next round of Active Duty-led KC-46A basing. They include, Dover AFB, Del.; Fairchild AFB, Wash.; Grand Forks AFB, N.D.; Travis AFB, Calif.; and JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., according to the June 23 announcement. Air Mobility Command will conduct ground site surveys of each of the candidate bases to assess “each location against operational requirements, potential impacts to existing missions, housing, infrastructure, and manpower,” states the release. AMC also will consider the cost of bedding down the aircraft at each location. The service expects to announce the results of the second Active Duty preferred alternative by the end of the calendar year. Boeing and the Air Force recently announced that McConnell AFB, Kan., which will be the first Active-Duty led Pegasus base, and Altus AFB, Okla., the location of the first formal training unit, will receive aircraft later than expected, beginning in late summer or early fall 2017 rather than spring as originally expected. However, deliveries to Pease ANGB, N.H., have not changed and the second Active Duty-led base is expected to begin receiving aircraft in Fiscal 2020.
Members of Congress from both parties expressed frustration and dismay over the abrupt and still-unexplained firing last month of Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh from his dual role as head of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency.