It’s Still an Air War: Air Force and coalition strike aircraft remained busy in the skies over Afghanistan July 2, conducting 54 close-air-support mission overall, Air Forces Central said in a July 3 release. Among these activities, A-10s attacked anti-Afghan government forces near Bari Kowt with cannon rounds, rockets, and 500-pound general purpose bombs, AFCENT said. A B-1B bomber used a 2,000-pound joint direct attack munition and 500-pound JDAMs against an enemy position in the vicinity of Qalenaw. Further, F-15Es dropped a 2,000-pound JDAM and 500-pound JDAMs onto enemy fighting positions by Nagalam, and an MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle struck a cave in Gereshk with Hellfire missiles and a 500-pound laser-guided bomb. AFCENT said there were also 41 CAS missions in Iraq on July 2.
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.