An Iraqi-led assault to eliminate a militia force in Diwaniyah in southern Iraq entered its third day on April 8 and was achieving “great success,” according to Maj. Gen. Oothman Faroud, whose 8th Iraqi Army Division is leading Operation Black Eagle. The day before, Iraqi soldiers directed—for the first time—coalition fighter aircraft, in this case a USAF F-16, to conduct a strike against militia firing rocket-propelled grenades, reports Voice of America. The Viper destroyed the target.
Fresh off the first combat deployment of its new EA-37B, the Air Force is nearly doubling the planned number of new electronic attack jets and projecting more than $3 billion in spending on the program in the next five years.