About 300 marines will deploy to Afghanistan this spring to bolster the US and Afghan fight targeting the Taliban. The marines, assigned to II Marine Expeditionary Force, were requested by US Central Command to help train and advise the Afghan National Army 215th Corps and the 505th Zone National Police. “This new deployment of marines to Helmand reflects our enduring commitment to the people of Afghanistan,” US Central Command said in a statement. US forces in Afghanistan have stepped up their fight in Afghanistan recently, with US aircraft increasing attacks on both Taliban and terrorist targets within the country.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.