US Central Command Air Forces said that, on Dec. 22, its aircraft flew 22 close air support missions in support of Coalition ground forces in Iraq. USAF F-15s flew CAS missions near Samarra, attacking an enemy bunker with a PGM. F-16 Fighting Falcons provided close air support to coalition troops in contact with anti-Iraqi forces near Balad, while other F-16s provided CAS to troops in contact near Bayji, Kirkuk, and Tikrit. In Afghanistan, Air Force A-10s and RAF GR-7s provided close air support to coalition forces in contact with enemy troops near Orgun-E. Other A-10s were engaged near Asadabad.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.