US Air Force B-2 bombers have been flying 18-hour missions to Australia to make use of the Delamere bombing range in Australia’s Northern Territory, as part of Exercise Green Lightning. USAF KC-10 tankers enabled the bombers to participate in this new bi-national training event, which US Pacific Command officials say will improve operational familiarity in the region and relations with Australian counterparts. Future exercises are to feature USAF’s other strategic bombers—the B-1B and B-52—flying long-haul missions to Australia.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall doesn’t see great value in trying to break the Sentinel ICBM program off as a separate budget item the way the Navy has with its ballistic-missile submarine program, saying such a move wouldn’t create any new money for the Air Force to spend on other…