US Central Command Air Forces executed a close air support mission for coalition forces in contact with anti-Iraqi forces in the vicinity of Balad, Iraq. On Dec. 20, USAF F-16s strafed an enemy location and fired precision guided munitions, while US Navy F-14s strafed anti-Iraqi forces setting up an improvised explosive device.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.