Airmen, F-16s, and KC-135s returned to Europe earlier this month after a seven-month rotation to Africa that was requested to help protect American interests in South Sudan. The airmen, along with F-16s from the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano AB, Italy, and KC-135s from the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall, England, returned to their home bases earlier this month, according to a US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa news release. The airmen and aircraft deployed to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, in July after the Department of State and the US Ambassador in Juba, South Sudan, requested military assistance as a “precautionary measure” to protect Americans and US interests from “violent unrest and the possibility of threats in South Sudan,” the release states. Air Force assets have been called on before in response to violent outbreaks in that country. In 2013, a USAF CV-22 Osprey was hit by small arms fire while evacuating Americans from the US Embassy. (See Blood Over Bor from the October 2015 issue of Air Force Magazine.)
NATO Scrambles Fighter in Newest Response to Russian Drones
Sept. 16, 2025
NATO scrambled its first fighter Sept. 13 under its new plan to bolster its defenses against Russian air incursions that was put into place after an array of Russian drones flew into Polish airspace last week, the officials from the alliance’s military command said.
