US-led coalition aircraft are stepping up their strikes against ISIS in Raqqa, Syria, as American troops on the ground provide intelligence and more targets. On Nov. 9, US aircraft conducted more than a dozen strikes, dropping 74 munitions near Raqqa, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said during a Thursday briefing. The strikes aim to increase pressure on the group as Iraqi forces approach ISIS in their other major stronghold, Mosul, Iraq. US leadership is able to directly communicate with the leadership of Syrian Democratic Forces that are leading the approach to the Syrian city. US special forces are on the ground to “keep an eye on what’s happening and provide feedback,” Cook said, adding that US aircraft is constantly keeping a close eye on the situation from the air. (See also: Shaping the Raqqa Battle, But Who Will Lead the Fight)
A new fast-track approval process for software on Defense Department networks will use AI tools to radically shorten a process that currently takes months or years, Acting Pentagon Chief Information Officer Katie Arrington said April 23.