As
of May 22, three USAF C-17s had delivered supplies to aid some 1.7 million refugees from Pakistan’s embattled Swat Valley. The aircraft, dispatched from Charleston AFB, S.C., and Dover AFB, Del., have delivered over a 24-hour period supplies that include 120,000 pre-packaged Halal meals, environmentally controlled tents, electrical generators, and water trucks. The US has pledged about $110 million in aid, following requests for support from the Pakistan government, as it battles Taliban insurgents in the Swat Valley. (Air Forces Central report one and two by SSgt. Stacia Zachary)
The Air Force plans to add external weapons pylons on the B-1B bomber, both to increase the number of aircraft that can test hypersonic missiles and expand the Lancer’s loadout as USAF transitions to the B-21 bomber.