A US F-16 on Oct. 13 was hit by small arms fire during a mission in Afghanistan, forcing the pilot to jettison two fuel tanks and three weapons before returning to base, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters on Monday. The jet was hit in a stabilizer of one of its munitions during a low-level flight, he added. It was flying in the Sayid Karam district of eastern Paktia province, an area largely under Taliban control, reported Agence France-Presse. Militants posted pictures online posing with the discarded fuel tanks and weapons. Initial reports have ruled out any larger weaponry, such as surface-to-air missiles, involved in the incident, Davis said. A contingent of F-16s from Aviano AB, Italy, are assigned to the 555th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.
President Donald Trump on July 4 signed into law $150 billion in defense funds as part of the tax-and-spending package known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” after congressional Republicans approved the legislation in narrow, drawn-out votes earlier this week.
