The U.S. Air Force is used to operating from large, fixed bases in the Middle East. But recently, Air Forces Central tested its ability to disperse to smaller, unfamiliar locations in an Agile Combat Employment exercise—while flying combat missions.
Two U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratrofortress bombers flew over the Middle East on Feb. 17 in a “force projection” demonstration, U.S. Central Command announced. The mission also included live munitions drops and fighter escorts from regional partners, according to CENTCOM.
The U.S. and its allies continue to strike the Islamic State group and other terrorist targets to prevent a comeback of the groups, even as much of the Pentagon’s public attention has shifted towards the southern border.
The U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi forces stepped up their campaign against Islamic State fighters over the past week, including a confrontation with militants holed up in an Iraqi cave, U.S. Central Command said Jan. 6.
When Lt. Col. Dustin Johnson was ordered to deploy to the Middle East last year, he and his fellow F-22 Raptor pilots prepared for an unusual challenge. As America’s premier air superiority fighter, the F-22 was designed to take on advanced enemy aircraft, capable of maneuvering ...
The U.S. military conducted a new round of airstrikes against militants from the Islamic State group in central Syria on Dec. 16, as the Pentagon is attempting to stop ISIS from gaining ground following the sudden collapse of the regime of Bashar Al Assad.
After more than a month of operations that saw 10 B-52s—nearly 15 percent of the entire fleet—operating across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, four have returned to the U.S., with the rest slated to follow in the coming weeks.
A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper was mistakenly shot down in northern Syria on Dec. 9 by the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces, U.S. officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The U.S. military conducted a punishing series of airstrikes against Islamic State militants on Dec. 8 following the sudden demise of the ruling Assad regime. U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers, F-15E Strike Eagles, and A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft conducted dozens of airstrikes against ...
F-15Es from the 492nd Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, U.K., have deployed to the Middle East, replacing Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., that recently wrapped up a rotation in the region.
KC-46 aerial tankers from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., landed in the Middle East in early October for the refueler’s first ever operational deployment.
The U.S. conducted a series of airstrikes against Islamic State camps in Syria on Oct. 28, as the Pentagon continues its efforts to thwart the militant group from making a comeback.