Coalition aircraft flew 54 close air support missions in Afghanistan and 48 in Iraq on the final day of June, Air Forces Central announced yesterday. A-10s, B-1Bs, and F-15Es remained active in the skies over Afghanistan, with A-10s attacking anti-Afghan government forces with 500-pound laser-guided bombs in Bagram and with rockets near Bari Kowt. B-1Bs struck enemy forces with 500-pound joint direct attack munitions near Deh Chopan and in Khowst. And F-15Es used 500-pound and 2,000-pound JDAMs against enemy combatants near Bari Kowt. Khas Konar, Nagalam, and Worzhanah Kalay, AFCENT said.
There's a growing consensus among experts, lawmakers, and Pentagon leaders that the Air Force should buy more than the planned minimum of 100 B-21 stealth bombers. Exactly how many more is a question USAF will likely answer in its 2028 budget request, the service’s top planner said May 13.