The US-led coalition has “more than enough bombers” to carry out airstrikes even as Air Force B-1s have returned home and six Canadian CF-18s will leave the fight by the end of the month, the coalition spokesman said. Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve has received two carrier groups within the past 60 days and an increased presence of F-16s from the Royal Netherlands Air Force within the past few weeks to carry out airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, coalition spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said Wednesday. “We are seeing additional forces able to make up for what’s departed,” Warren said. The coalition has continued to bomb the oil facilities used by ISIS, leaving their finances “completely devastated,” he said. ISIS has not gained any ground recently in Iraq, though it still has “a little bit of fight left in them.” The coalition is increasing its focus on training local forces to hold ground in areas where ISIS has been defeated, such as Ramadi where local forces need to clear the city of any remaining enemy fighters and “untold thousands” of improvised explosive devices. (Warren transcript.)
A recent seven-day exercise sent Air Force F-22s—along with other USAF aircraft—to austere, challenging environments across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Agile Reaper, taking place for the second time after its inaugural edition last year, featured 800 Airmen and 29 aircraft across five different locations from April 10-16, training…