Two of the new C-130J transports assigned to the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein AB, Germany, recently deployed to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where they are operating in support of Flintlock 10, a US Africa Command-sponsored multinational interoperability and capacity-building exercise. This event, which runs through May 23 throughout western Africa, marks the unit’s first deployment with its J-model aircraft to Africa for an exercise. “Flintlock is our first opportunity to employ the aircraft in an austere environment for significant durations,” said Maj. Mark Oberson, 37th AS assistant director of operations. Already they have made their mark. “The 130s are making this exercise happen,” said Maj. Randle Tankersley who works plans and operations for 17th Air Force (Air Forces Africa). With them, exercise planners have been able to bring the participants together at multiple exercise locations. (Ramstein report by SSgt. Stefanie Torres)
The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force has unveiled a new electronic warfare drone designed to fly with fighter jets into contested airspace, including alongside its fleet of F-35s. RAF says it plans to develop models that draw on the U.S. Air Force’s approach of mating unmanned systems with crewed platforms.