Air Force strike aircraft made frequent use of satellite-guided joint direct attack munitions June 4 in Afghanistan in support of combat operations, Air Forces Central said in a June 5 release. For example, F-15Es took out enemy buildings in Bahramchan and Sangin with 500-pound versions of the bomb, according to AFCENT. And B-1B bombers employed 500-pound and 2,000-pound JDAMs against enemy combatants and positions near Kabul, in Nangalam, and in the vicinity of Sangin. In total, coalition aircraft flew 56 close air support missions June 4 in Afghanistan. In Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 74 CAS missions on that day.
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.