Twenty four French Rafale fighter jets flew missions over Iraq Friday now that the Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier has returned to the fight against ISIS. The carrier returned to the region of the Mediterranean Sea in September, the BBC reported. A French officer said the aircraft were ultimately slated to assist in the battle to retake Mosul from ISIS control, according to the BBC report. This mission marks the third time the Charles de Gaulle, the sole French aircraft carrier, has been sent to the region since January 2015. France pledged the deployment earlier this summer during a meeting of defense leaders of the coalition nations.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…