US military officials at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, announced Sunday that operations at the base “have not been impacted” by the recent violence between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan’s southern city of Osh. They said they are working to bring food and medical supplies to the victims. The ethnic unrest has left scores dead and more than 1,000 injured. It is the latest flare-up of violence since the overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in April. Manas is a major US air hub for sustaining operations in Afghanistan. It is located in Kyrgyzstan’s north near the capital city of Bishkek. In early June, the Defense Department announced that it had temporarily suspended aerial refueling operations from the base while negotiations continued with the new Kyrgyz interim government over the price of locally supplied aviation fuel. (376th AEW release) (Voice of America report.)
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.