Th
e B-52 bombers deployed to Guam from Barksdale AFB, La., flew more than 18 continuous hours to participate in US Pacific Command’s Koa Lightning exercise in the Hawaiian islands, receiving two aerial refuelings during the 6,880-nautical mile round trip. Co-pilot Capt. Matthew Quy called the experience “as close to a combat sortie as you could get.” The Barksdale bombers and about 300 airmen arrived at Andersen AFB, Guam, earlier this year for the latest USAF bomber rotation to reinforce PACOM’s strategic strike capability.
Pentagon Task Force, FAA to Test Counter-Drone Laser
March 7, 2026
The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force announced it would conduct a high-energy laser test with the Federal Aviation Administration less than a month after the use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border prompted the FAA to shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas.