A USAF Predator UAV and A-10s, along with RAF GR-7s, provided close air support on Aug. 24 to coalition troops who came under fire from anti-coalition militia in two locations in Afghanistan. The Warthogs used a combination of general-purpose 500-pound bombs, rockets, and 30mm cannon rounds.
Amid a renewed focus on readiness, Congress moved to keep the Air Force’s shrinking combat fleet from getting even smaller in the latest version of its annual defense policy bill, blocking scores of divestments of two major fourth-generation fighters.
