The Drive: The estimated annual sustainment costs alone are more than twice what the U.S. Air Force pays to operate a squadron of F-16s for a year – The U.S. military recently awarded the Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, a deal worth over $1.8 billion dollars to support and grow the Afghan Air Force’s fleet of A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft over the next five years. Now we know much more about the exact costs involved in supporting the Afghan planes, the total number of which will grow to least 25 in the coming years. Click here to read more (external link).