US aircraft have ramped up their airstrikes against al Qaeda in Yemen, bringing the total to more than 70 in about one month. Aircraft conducted 20 more strikes since the middle of last week, hitting militants, infrastructure, fighting positions, and equipment, the Pentagon said Monday, according to VOA. The airstrike campaign follows the Jan. 29 raid inside Yemen that resulted in the death of Navy SEAL Chief Special Warfare Officer William “Ryan” Owens, several civilians, and the destruction of an MV-22 Osprey.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.