A US Air Force F-16 dropped a bomb on a house rigged with explosives near Maderiyah, Iraq, on Nov. 25, destroying the building. Soldiers spotted an abandoned house—confirmed by local civilians—with copper wires running out of a window. An explosive ordnance disposal team confirmed the wires were attached to jugs of explosives, rigging the house as an improvised explosive device. Rather than risk setting it off, the ground forces called for an airstrike. (Multinational Force-Iraq release) Intelligence from several sources led coalition forces in Afghanistan to call in an air strike to launch precision munitions against a number of insurgents in the Nuristan Province on Nov. 26. An International Security Assistance Forces official says the insurgents killed in the strike were preparing to attack coalition forces in the area. News reports have carried allegations that the air strike killed construction workers, and the official said Afghan and ISAF officials are conducting a joint investigation. (ISAF release)
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.