The US airstrike that killed the highest-ranking leader of the Khorasan Group in Syria on Oct. 15 took place west of Aleppo, in an area where Russian aircraft have been active, further emphasizing the need for an agreement between the US and Russia on operating safely in the country, a Pentagon official said Monday. Coalition forces conducted the airstrike, killing Abdul Mohsen Adballah Ibrahim al Charekh, also known as Sanafi al-Nasr. Al-Nasr was the leader of the Khorasan Group, which the Pentagon described as a network of veteran al-Qaeda operatives focused on external attacks, Defense Department spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said. The strike means the group will be less likely to be able to carry out attacks on US soil or in other Western countries. The attack comes as the US and Russia are finalizing their memorandum of understanding on how to interact and avoid any conflict during flight over Syria. While the Pentagon disagrees “with basically everything” Russia is doing in Syria, it is important to keep US pilots safe while flying, Davis said.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.