A C-17 bringing US troops out of Afghanistan last week was the first to use the new ramp at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan. Designated “Papa Ramp,” the new addition adds four parking spots for C-17s or MD-11 commercial aircraft to support the Transit Center’s role as a main hub for moving US troops and supplies in and out of Afghanistan. The United States agreed to complete the $30 million ramp project as part of a lease renewal agreement with the Kyrgyz government in 2009 for the continued use of Manas. The project took about a year to complete. (Manas photo caption by SSgt. Stacy Moless)
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
