A new wooden walkway at the heart of Kandahar AB, Afghanistan, now features all the trappings of a stateside oceanside boardwalk, including fast food restaurants, a phone center, and gift shops. Stars and Stripes reports that the partially complete boardwalk is part of an improvement project begun by the base’s former commander, Lt. Col. Jim Hardy. Much of the base is in a near-complete status, as US and coalition forces continue a range of improvements, from the base’s runway—being lengthened and widened to accommodate a wider range of aircraft—to housing for US and NATO partner nation troops.
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…