There has been no official word on the fate of the pilot of the USAF F-16CG that crashed in Iraq early Monday morning as it was assisting coalition ground forces. According to an Associated Press news service follow-up report, an Iraqi eyewitness says the fighter could be seen flying erratically up and down just before it crashed some 20 miles northwest of Baghdad. The witness also said other coalition warplanes circled the area after the crash.
The Air Force has finished resurrecting a B-1B Lancer, completing a yearslong process to transform a bomber that had been stored for parts in the Arizona desert into the new flagship of the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.