The Air Force has sent a unit of F-15E Strike Eagles to supplement the combat force at Bagram AB, Afghanistan. More than 200 airmen and several fighters arrived at Bagram Jan. 14, deploying from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. The fighter can perform in both air-to-air and air-to-ground roles, and it’s the latter capability that officials say will be most valuable in Afghanistan.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.