More than 250 airmen and untold number of B-2 bombers from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo., arrived at Andersen AFB, Guam, this past weekend to start a new rotation, maintaining a continuous bomber and fighter presence on the island as part of Pacific Air Forces global strike force. The Whiteman bombers are replacing the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron’s B-1B Lancers from Ellsworth AFB, S.D., which had been deployed to Andersen since January.
A top Pentagon tech official called on industry this week to help the military develop “lighter, more efficient” directed energy weapons designed to go on aircraft and conduct special operations missions or down drones—areas where the Air Force’s directed energy efforts have been quiet as of late.