The newly arrived Deployable Joint Task Force Headquarters for NATO’s Joint Command Lisbon on Thursday was coordinating with Pakistani officials the forces’ deployment options. The NATO forces will total more than 1,000 troops and engineers, according to an alliance statement and will be deployed to the country’s earthquake-affected areas. The alliance is already operating air bridges from Europe and Turkey that are transporting supplies to the region from Ramstein AB, Germany, and Incirlik AB, Turkey.
The Air Force plans to add external weapons pylons on the B-1B bomber, both to increase the number of aircraft that can test hypersonic missiles and expand the Lancer’s loadout as USAF transitions to the B-21 bomber.