Two fighters participating in the current Red Flag Alaska collided in mid-air, sending one crashing into a rural area and the other limping back to Eielson AFB, Alaska, the host site for the Red Flag exercise. An F-15C from Langley AFB, Va., crashed after its pilot ejected safely, while the other fighter, an F-16C from the 64th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev., suffered some damage but made it back to Eielson.
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.