US joint terminal attack controllers and supporting personnel joined forces with their counterparts from 14 NATO partner countries in Grafenwoehr, Germany, for exercise Allied Strike 2011. “The value of this event is the fact that we can bring so many people together in a concentrated environment,” said Col. Jon Berry, exercise director and commander of the 4th Air Support Operations Squadron in Mannheim, Germany. “We can fully integrate not only the operators, but our support personnel as well, in order to get maximum value for our training in a very short amount of time.” Air Force instructors ran six of the eight primary training activities used to refine tactics, techniques, and procedures for calling in close air support in a variety of situations. Belgian and Danish JTACs ran the other two. The 10-day exercise concluded on July 2. (Grafenwoehr report by Capt. Tristan Hinderliter)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.