US Air Force airmen at Paya Lebar Air Base, Singapore, are engaged in air-to-air combat training with and against the F-5s and F-16s of the Singapore Air Force, in an exercise known as Commando Sling. For the 18th Fighter Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, practicing air-to-air maneuvers in a hot, humid environment and over bodies of water is a new experience, which their commander, Lt. Col. Dieter Bareihs, says is good training. Learning the different combat scenarios through this exercise is supposed to strengthen the alliance and enhance the safety of the Pacific Region.
Pentagon Task Force, FAA to Test Counter-Drone Laser
March 7, 2026
The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force announced it would conduct a high-energy laser test with the Federal Aviation Administration less than a month after the use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border prompted the FAA to shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas.