US and coalition strike aircraft flew 64 close air support missions in Afghanistan on July 23 and 47 in Iraq, Air Forces Central reported yesterday. In Afghanistan, B-1B bombers were active over Ajrestan and Jrestan, dropping 500-pound and 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions onto enemy combatants. A-10s fired cannon rounds and rockets at insurgent positions near Nangalam and conducted a show of force to deter enemy activities. Furthermore, F-15Es performed shows of force near Gardez and Gereshk and struck enemy forces near Shinkay with a 500-pound laser-guided bomb and a 500-pound JDAM. And an MQ-1 unmanned aerial vehicle fired a Hellfire missile at enemy combatants near Jrestan. On-scene joint terminal attack controllers confirmed the success of these missions.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design the Air Force said.