US Air Force A-10s, a B-52, and Predator UAVs helped provide close air support to coalition forces engaged by enemy forces in the vicinity of Orgun-E, Afghanistan, on Dec. 21. The A-10s strafed enemy positions and launched general-purpose 500-pound bombs. The B-52 fired precision-guided munitions. The Predators fired Hellfire missiles.
House lawmakers are encouraging the Air Force and U.S. Special Operations Command to work together as each pursues long-range, long-endurance reconnaissance drones. Both entities are investing in unmanned assets that can slip into highly defended areas, loiter over a particularly valuable target for days at a time, and traverse multiple…