Air Force strike aircraft made frequent use of satellite-guided joint direct attack munitions June 4 in Afghanistan in support of combat operations, Air Forces Central said in a June 5 release. For example, F-15Es took out enemy buildings in Bahramchan and Sangin with 500-pound versions of the bomb, according to AFCENT. And B-1B bombers employed 500-pound and 2,000-pound JDAMs against enemy combatants and positions near Kabul, in Nangalam, and in the vicinity of Sangin. In total, coalition aircraft flew 56 close air support missions June 4 in Afghanistan. In Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 74 CAS missions on that day.
There is a new entrant in the highly competitive field of collaborative combat aircraft—semi-autonomous drones meant to fly alongside manned combat aircraft. Northrop Grumman unveiled its new Project Talon aircraft to a small group of reporters at the facilities of its subsidiary Scaled Composites.
