US Air Force fighters and bombers unloaded precision weapons against an insurgent stronghold south of Balad Ruz, Iraq, on Jan. 8. The strike force—F-15E, F-16, and B-1B aircraft—hit 25 targets, including buildings, equipment, weapons caches, and enemy personnel. Lt. Gen. Gary North, head of US Central Command Air Forces, said, “the combined use of our wide range of aerial assets is a perfect example of the flexibility of our coalition forces.”
A combined Navy and Air Force program is seeking to build a smaller version of a ubiquitous air-to-air missile that could give advanced aircraft, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, greater magazine depth in a high-end fight.