Navy Adm. Timothy Keating, who relinquished command of NORAD and US Northern Command on March 23, now has assumed command of US Pacific Command, taking over from acting commander Air Force Lt. Gen. Daniel P. Leaf. “He is fully prepared to continue the record of accomplishments that the countries of this region have built together,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates said of Keating during the change of command ceremony. Keating’s new territory includes 43 countries.
A U.S. F-35C shot down an Iranian drone operating near the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier Feb. 3 in a dramatic incident that American military officials cautioned could lead to conflict amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S.
