US Central Command Air Forces reports that coalition aircraft flew several close air support missions on Dec. 28 to support troops in Iraq. USAF F-15s flew CAS for coalition troops fighting anti-Iraqi forces near Balad, Al Iskandariyah and Al Mahmudiyah. An F-15 struck an enemy mortar position near Balad with a precision guided munition.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.