Continuing the Air Force plan to transform its numbered air forces into warfighting headquarters, 12th Air Force at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., now has become Air Forces Southern, or AFSOUTH, provisional. (It will remain provisional until it formally reaches operational capability.) In addition, AFSOUTH has become a full-time Air Force component for US Southern Command. AFSOUTH also has responsibility for training and equipping its wings and units.
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan flew an unusual trilateral flight with two U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bombers escorted by two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and two ROK Air Force KF-16 fighters—both countries’ respective variants of the F-16—July 11. That same weekend, the top military officers of the three nations…