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.”
The Space Development Agency added 21 satellites to its nascent data transport network in an Oct. 15 launch, the second mission in a 10-month campaign to field 154 operational spacecraft.
