Coalition officials in Afghanistan report that Afghan and coalition ground forces called for close air support during a six-hour engagement prompted by a Taliban ambush in the town of Musa Qala in the Helmand province. Afghan and coalition forces killed nearly 80 Taliban, with no reports of Afghan, coalition, or civilian casualties. Stars and Stripes reports that US Air Force aircraft flew the CAS sorties, making four precision weapons strikes.
The Air Force has finished modifying and testing the new VC-25B Bridge aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One, the service announced May 1. All that’s left now is to finish painting the jet before it starts flying this summer.