The Ai
r Force is putting new 20 mm cannon rounds in the F-16s deployed to Balad AB, Iraq, improving pilot safety and reducing collateral damage. Viper pilots already have fired the new rounds, strafing an insurgent stronghold east of Baghdad, reports Air Force journalist Capt. Ken Hall. The new ammo’s aerodynamic design and “hotter load” enable the F-16s to fire at greater distances—more than a mile and a half—from targets than the old ammo.
The Pentagon has concluded a new agreement to buy laser-guidance kits that turn rockets into drone-killing weapons. BAE Systems and the Defense Department announced a framework deal of up to seven years for 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits annually for the U.S. military.