German Tornados arrived at Incirlik AB, Turkey, in December, to join the efforts against ISIS in Syria, according to the Air Force. German lawmakers approved the deployment of Tornado ECR reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft from Jagel AB, Germany, as well as an A310 tanker, for a non?combat role. The 445-146 vote came after requests for help from France, NBC News reported. In mid-December, the 12 US F-15s that deployed to Incirlik in November returned to their home base. The French also launched their only aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, to the area in November, just days before the attacks on Paris.
The Michigan Air National Guard’s 127th Air Refueling Group recently put together what may be a first of its kind in the Air Force: a training program that teaches KC-135 tanker crews how to perform specialized fueling operations (SFO): ground-based procedures that could help gas up military aircraft in a…