The number of US and coalition bombs dropped in Afghanistan rose sharply to 460 in April, more than doubling the total from the previous month. It was the largest number of munitions dropped in a single month in Afghanistan since August of 2012, according to statistics provided by Air Forces Central Command. In Iraq and Syria, US and Coalition forces dropped 3,274 munitions in April, down about 600 from the record month of March. It was the lowest number of weapons released in Operation Inherent Resolve so far in 2017. Still, US and Coalition forces have dropped more bombs in each month this year than in any single month previously dating back to the beginning of Operation Inherent Resolve in August of 2014.
The Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile's second stage rocket performed largely as predicted by digital models in a recent vacuum chamber test, the Air Force and Northrop Grumman said, laying the groundwork for further testing that will allow the company to finalize the stage’s design in the coming months.