After three straight days of harassment by Russian fighters, U.S. MQ-9s conducted an airstrike that killed an ISIS leader in Syria on July 7, U.S. Central Command and Air Forces Central said. The strike was conducted by the same MQ-9s that were confronted by Russian ...
Russian fighters dropped flares in front of U.S. MQ-9s over Syria on two consecutive days in escalating tactics intended to disrupt U.S. operations in "a new level" of aggressive behavior by Russian forces, according to U.S. officials. "We urge Russian forces in Syria to cease ...
Russia’s war in Ukraine is having far-reaching consequences for American forces in the Middle East, the top Air Force commander for the region said June 21. The aggressive behavior by Russian planes in Syria toward American aircraft may be part of an effort by Moscow to ...
U.S. Central Command announced June 14 that Air Force F-22 stealth fighters have deployed to the Middle East, the latest action amid growing tensions between the U.S. and Russia in the skies over Syria—but also tied to Russia’s war in Ukraine. “The center of gravity ...
Russia has stepped up its harassment of U.S. forces in Syria, overflying American positions with armed fighters and closing within a few hundred feet of U.S. fighters, U.S. officials said. Perhaps most alarmingly, a Russian surface-to-air missile system fired at a U.S. drone back in ...
As the Air Force’s broader focus shifts to the Pacific and Europe, the U.S. military will rely on aging close air support aircraft to meet the needs of its forces in the Middle East. A-10 Thunderbolt IIs will deploy to the region in April, a ...
Under Col. Robert Smoker, Task Force 99’s new commander, the unit will continue to try to cut through red tape and field new systems quickly. “We're weird,“ he said. “Everybody has their job to do and they do it.”
The Air Force's Task Force 99, a showcase CENTCOM unit devoted to innovation, conducted a successful operational test of small drones that could be used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
A new report from the Defense Intelligence Agency confirms the drones Russia has used to terrorize Ukrainian cities and pound the country’s infrastructure have been provided by Iran.
Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, commander of Air Forces Central, supports the Pentagon’s broad shift in focus toward countering China, but sees a role for his command to help reassure regional allies and enhance the U.S. military capabilities in the region, he said Feb. 13.
Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Brown Jr. took a tour of the Middle East in early January, engaging with U.S. allies and visiting service members in the region, the Air Force announced. Brown and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. ...
A small Air Force team at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is working on solutions to mitigate one of U.S. Central Command’s primary issues: doing more with less. As part of a broader push in CENTCOM towards what leaders call “a culture of innovation,” ...