Coalition aircraft flew 50 close air support missions in Afghanistan and 56 in Iraq on July 6, Air Forces Central said in a release. In Afghanistan, for example, A-10s fired cannon rounds and dropped general-purpose 500-pound bombs onto anti-government forces in the vicinity of Nagalam. And a B-1B bomber attacked enemy fighting positions in the same area with 500-pound and 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions. Further, an F-15E struck enemy forces in the vicinity of Shkin with a 500-pound laser-guided bomb and 500-pound JDAMs. Another F-15E unleashed cannon rounds on enemy fighting positions near Molla Ashraf, AFCENT said.
The U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…