Airmen at RAF Mildenhall, England, are preparing Turkish KC-135 crews to operate with an upgraded Global Air Traffic Management system that the Turkish air force is introducing on its tankers at the end of this month. Mildenhall KC-135s have used this system since 2004, but the two-week course marks the first time that members of the 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 19 have trained allied forces on the system. Divided between classroom work and hands-on exercises aboard the KC-135, the course is aiding technicians to “easily get used to the aircraft and maintain it,” noted a Turkish captain. This training is “crucial to assisting Turkey accomplish this multi-million-dollar program in a timely manner,” said Bud Brooks, attached to USAF’s Security Assistance Training Squadron at Lackland AFB, Tex. GATM equipment allows aircraft to travel safely in increasingly crowded worldwide airspace. (Mildenhall report by Karen Abeyasekere)
The U.S. military carried out air strikes against Islamic State training camps in Syria on Oct. 11, U.S. Central Command announced. The airstrikes came amid concerns that the militant group is trying to rebuild its capabilities following its defeat in 2019 by the U.S. and its regional allies, the Syrian Democratic…