Taking B-1Bs Down Under: Three Air Force B-1B bombers deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, recently flew more than 7,000 miles and 16 hours to participate in Australia’s Aces South exercise with the Royal Australian Air Force. The B-1Bs of the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron flew round-robin missions from Guam to Australia, where they each flew one sortie as “red” team bombers conducting anti-ship strikes. The Aussie “blue” forces comprised F/A-18s and F-111s. This was the first participation by USAF B-1 bombers in the Australian exercise.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.