The elections in Afghanistan last week went rather well, aided by the watchful eyes of USAF A-10 fighters and EC-130H Compass Call and Navy EA-6B electronic jammers. The Warthogs from Pope AFB, N.C. and Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., flew close air support for ground troops and security forces near voting sites, while EC-130Hs from Davis-Monthan and EA-6Bs from NAS Whidbey Island, Wash., provided electronic protection and intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance.
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.