The Air Force’s F-15E fleet recently eclipsed 8,000 combat flight hours during a mission of the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The F-15E on this historic mission provided overhead security during helicopter re-supply of a remote area and also coordinated communications between the helicopters and coalition forces on the ground. The 336th EFS comprises elements of the 336th FS from Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. The aircrew for the mission was pilot Capt. Jaina Donberg, a native of Arlington, Va., and weapon systems officer Capt. Nick Foster, a native of Martinsburg, W.Va. SrA. John Yates, a native of Pawtucket, R.I., was the crew chief. (Bagram report by Capt. David Faggard)
Exasperated with the delays to the F-35’s Tech Refresh 3 update—which has held up deliveries of completed fighters since last fall—the House Armed Services Committee wants to slash the military services’ fiscal 2025 F-35 purchase by at least 10 aircraft and as much as 20.