Air Force officials are investigating why the pilot of an F-16 fighter from the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, Utah, mistakenly shot up a vehicle during a close air support training exercise April 8 at the Utah Test and Training Range. Two soldiers in the vehicle who were participating in the exercise from Ft. Lewis, Wash., were slightly injured with scrapes and cuts when they evacuated the vehicle to escape the attack, Salt Lake City’s Deseret News reported April 15. The wing has temporarily halted training in the area of the range where the mishap occurred while it conducts an investigation, which is expected to take a month or two, according to the newspaper. The injured soldiers are back with their unit and have returned to duty, an Army spokesman told the newspaper.
The Air Force might want to buy more than the planned 100 B-21 bombers, particularly if the B-52J upgrade doesn't pan out, Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin told the Senate Armed Services Committee.