A bridge probably built by insurgents to smuggle munitions from Diyala Province to Baghdad fell on Oct. 15 under a barrage from USAF strike aircraft, according to a Multinational Force Iraq release. The Army’s 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team coordinated the operation, dubbed Marne Anvil, as part of its mission to disrupt the munitions flow into Baghdad. Maj. Dave Fivecoat with the 3rd HBCT said, “Insurgents and weapons smugglers will now be limited to crossing points into Baghdad that are guarded by our Iraqi security force partners.”
The Collaborative Combat Aircraft will be operational in the late 2020s, several years before the Next-Generation Air Dominance family of systems, Air Force officials told the House Armed Services tactical aviation panel. The CCAs will first be “shooters,” then electronic warfare platforms, then sensors, in that order, they added.