U-2 pilot Maj. Ralph Shoukry logged his 1,000th combat flying hour in the aircraft type during a sortie supporting operations in Southwest Asia, according to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. “I think reaching 1,000 combat hours is a byproduct of us supporting the war effort,” said Shoukry after the milestone sortie on March 6 from the wing’s undisclosed air base in the region. “I love my job and the fact that the U-2 provides a robust combat capability that directly supports the warfighter,” he added. Shoukry hit the milestone on his 113th combat sortie; he racked up these sorties over the course of nine deployments, according to the wing. He is currently deployed with the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron from Beale AFB, Calif. He has flown combat missions over Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. (See 380th AEW Facebook posting.)
Competitors Not Picked for CCA Look Forward to Increment 2
April 25, 2024
While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.