An Air Force F-16 dropped 500-pound joint direct attack munitions onto enemy buildings in the vicinity of Baghdad May 1, Air Forces Central officials said in its daily summary of coalition air sorties. The mission was declared a success by a joint terminal attack controller.
The Collaborative Combat Aircraft will be operational in the late 2020s, several years before the Next-Generation Air Dominance family of systems, Air Force officials told the House Armed Services tactical aviation panel. The CCAs will first be “shooters,” then electronic warfare platforms, then sensors, in that order, they added.