The US military is launching a program this year called Africa Partnership Flight to help build the capacity of partner air forces on the African continent, said Army Gen. Carter Ham, head of US Africa Command. The first event under the APF rubric is scheduled for this month in Ghana, he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. AFP will be primarily an Air Force-run effort that “will enable committed African states to enhance their aviation capabilities, foster greater regional cooperation, and increase air domain safety and security in Africa,” stated Ham. It will feature “low-footprint, short-duration, high-impact, sustainable, and predictable engagement,” he said. AFP is modeled after the Navy’s Africa Partnership Station initiative, noted Ham in his March 1 testimony. (Ham’s prepared statement) (For more Ham coverage, read Building a Larger Guard Role in Africa.)
Since President Donald Trump first unveiled his “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative in late January, much of the focus for it has been focused on space—how the Pentagon may deploy dozens, if not hundreds, of sensors and interceptors into orbit to protect the continental U.S. from missile barrages. But the Air…