The airmen of the 494th Fighter Squadron deployed to Southwest Asia from RAF Lakenheath, Britain, flew 972 combat sorties and became the first unit to employ the Small Diameter Bomb in combat. And, that’s not all. The F-15E Strike Eagle unit also was first to employ new mission planning software. The unit covered both Afghanistan (82 missions) and Iraq (890 missions) during its four-month deployment that began just as Air Combat Command officially declared the SDB initially operational.
Air Force U-2 Spy Planes Flying Along Southern Border
March 14, 2025
The U.S. Air Force has been flying U-2 Dragon Lady spy planes along the southern border, Air Force and defense officials disclosed.