Four KC-135s and airmen from the Arizona Air National Guard’s 161st Air Refueling Wing on May 31 returned from a deployment to Andersen AFB, Guam. The unit, based at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, spent three weeks supporting Pacific operations, refueling aircraft stationed and deployed to the area, according to a 161st ARW release. “We were supporting bomber aircraft in the region, which in turn support strategic deterrence,” 197th Air Refueling Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Dean Owen said in the release.
The Air Force has tapped sites in Oregon to build its first two new Over-the-Horizon Radars, capable of detecting inbound missile threats from up to 4,000 nautical miles away. The service is hoping to start construction by the end of 2028.