U.S. Air Forces in Europe last week wrapped its Advanced Battle Management System demonstration, bringing together dozens of aircraft from U.S. military services and multiple countries to find new ways to share data and operate together. The USAFE “on ramp” demonstration was the first to have non-U.S. military participants, with the Royal Netherlands Air Force, Polish Air Force, and United Kingdom Royal Air Force flying. It was also the first ABMS event to occur after Congress limited some of the funding in the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.

One militia member was killed and two injured in the Feb. 25 U.S. strike on Iranian-backed fighters in Syria, which President Joe Biden told Congress was carried out to “protect and defend our personnel and our partners” from future attacks. Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing that the strikes, which damaged or destroyed nine buildings, targeted border crossing facilities used by the groups to take weapons into Iraq. Two USAF F-15Es conducted the strikes.

Canadian-based CAE announced plans to buy L3Harris Technologies’ Military Training business for $1.05 billion, saying the acquisition broadens its training and simulation portfolio and doubles its U.S. defense presence. The proposed acquisition, which is slated to close in the second half of 2021, “accelerates our growth strategy in defense and security and is highly complementary to our core military training business, broadening our position in the United States,” said Marc Parent, CAE’s president and chief executive officer, in a March 1 release.

Unmanned aerial vehicles are fair game for U.S. Special Operations Command’s armed overwatch platform competition, Air Force Special Operations Command boss Lt. Gen. James C. “Jim” Slife told reporters on Feb. 25. However, the MQ-9 Reaper drone might not be up to the challenge in its current form, he suggested during a media roundtable held during the Air Force Association's virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium.