An Air Force civil engineer rescue air mobility squad (RAMS) at Ali Base, Iraq, had trained twice to work with the Army UH-60 Black Hawk aeromedical evacuation unit when they got a real-world call: Two trucks had collided head-on and one driver was trapped. The RAMS team picked up their 200 pounds of extrication gear and their “battle rattle”—weapons and ammunition—and headed for a Black Hawk. It took all their tools and nearly two hours to free the driver, then the Army took over to treat and transport. The Air Force RAMS—14 airmen—at Ali Base cover all of southern Iraq.
President Donald Trump is interested in developing a twin-engined, upgraded version of the F-35 fighter, he said during a press event May 15 in Qatar marking the sale of Boeing airliners and GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways. He said he would name the improved aircraft the “F-55” and also…