USAF aircraft are flying alongside the Royal Australian Air Force, French Air Force, and Navy jets from the USS Harry S. Truman during the first Air Force Central Command-led Desert Flag exercise, which kicked off on March 13 at an undisclosed location in southwest Asia. Training scenarios during the three-week exercise, which concludes on March 30, were designed to replicate combined tactical air operations, including day and night sorties where aircraft alternate playing the role of opposing and friendly aircraft, according to a release. In addition to the aircraft, an Army Patriot Missile Battery from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is participating via a simulation network, states the release.
If the Air Force is in line for a big budget bump from President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget in 2027, the head of Air Combat Command said he would make aircraft spare parts his top spending priority—but cautioned that more money to buy parts won’t equal a…
