Air Force F-15Es fired cannon-rounds and dropped 500-pound joint direct attack munitions onto enemy combatants May 28 in Bagram, Afghanistan, Air Forces Central announced May 29. Also in Afghanistan on that day, a B-1B bomber struck enemy fighting positions with 500-pound and 2,000-pound JDAMs in Farah. Joint terminal attack controllers reported that these missions were successful, AFCENT said. In total, coalition aircraft flew 47 close-air-support missions in Afghanistan and 70 CAS missions in Iraq on May 28.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
