USAF and US Navy fighters provided close air support on Jan. 2 for coalition troops fighting enemy forces near Balad, Bayji, and Tikrit. A Navy F-14 fired a precision-guided munition, striking enemy forces planting an improvised explosive device near Bayji.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.

