The US Combined Air Operations Center in the Middle East has seen ongoing problems with Iranian aircraft intercepting US assets, including a recent incident where Iranian fighters threatened two US Navy aircraft. “From where we sit here at al Udeid, that has been a continuing issue with respect to Iranian intercepts,” AFCENT Commander Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian said during a Tuesday briefing. Harrigian said Iran is exhibiting “provocative” activity in the sky over the Persian Gulf, but he did not provide specifics for recent Air Forces Central Command incidents. On Sept. 10 a Navy P-8 Poseidon and an EP-3 Aries were threatened by Iran while flying 13 miles off its coast, according to FOX News. “We wanted to test the Iranian reaction,” a US official told FOX. While both AFCENT and Navy Central Command have seen ongoing issues during surveillance flights, Iran has not impacted the coalition’s ongoing fight against ISIS in the region, Harrigian said.
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.