The head of US Air Forces in Europe, Gen. Tom Hobbins, traveled to Bulgaria and Georgia recently, declaring that both countries are “very staunch allies in the war on terror.” He said that both countries, though they “are not fully capable in some aviation areas,” are contributing forces to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo. Maj. Krista Carlos reports that Bulgaria expressed interest in modernizing its air force, in particular gaining new multirole fighters. Hobbins said that Georgia knows it needs to “rid itself of old Russian equipment,” but it has limited resources so plans to take “interim steps.”
Air Force leaders expect all six KC-135 Stratotankers that were damaged but not destroyed as part of Operation Epic Fury will eventually be repaired and returned to service. Some of those damaged KC-135s are already flying again, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, said, but the most heavily…