Airmen with the 22nd and 23rd Special Tactics Squadrons “joined” the Navy for contingency training aboard USS Alabama in the Pacific Ocean. The weeklong exercise provided experience on an Ohio-class submarine like those being converted from ballistic missile platforms to ones that can deliver Tomahawk tactical missiles and serve as a platform for up to 60 special operations forces. The STS airmen, from McChord AFB, Wash., and Hurlburt Field, Fla., practiced various scenarios including rescue missions and launch of tactical unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.