A B-52 from Minot AFB, N.D., flew the first sortie of its European rotation from RAF Fairford, England, on Tuesday. The crew practiced overcoming language barriers during a fighter intercept exercise as part of Baltops 16, according to a US Air Forces in Europe release. Two of the Stratofortresses arrived at Fairford last week and will take part in multiple exercises, including Baltops, which will include participants from 17 countries, Saber Strike 16, and several air shows across Europe. Lt. Col. Mike Maginness, the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron commander, said the airmen will drill the entire spectrum of the bombers’ capabilities during cruise missile, sea mining, and targeting pod exercises with NATO allies. “In today’s world, we will very rarely go at any fight alone,” he said, according to the release. “It is important to train how we fight.”
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.