Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Gary North said “places not bases” will be a key part of US strategy in the future. Speaking Thursday on a panel on contingency operations at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., North said he was happy that the Pentagon’s new defense strategy “gives us positioning power in the Pacific.” He added: “Our friends and our allies want a strong US presence in the region.”
A semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone shot down an air-to-air target in a Dec. 8 test supported by the U.S. Air Force, a notable milestone in the development of the loyal wingman-type drones that will join the fleets of the USAF, other American services, and allies and adversaries.
