The White House has approved the sale of US fighter jets to Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) confirmed to Defense News the Obama Administration approved the deal that reportedly includes up to 72 F-15E Strike Eagles for Qatar, 40 F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets for Kuwait, and an unknown number of F-16s for Bahrain. In July, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency reported the Gulf state sales—including the base deals of 36 F-15s to Qatar for $4 billion and 24 F/A-18E/Fs to Kuwait for $3 billion— had been stalled for over a year. The relevant Congressional committees will now review the sales, which have already been approved by the Pentagon and State Department. (See also: Building Capacity With Partners and Allies.)
Members of the Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing helped save 11 airplane crash survivors off the coast of Florida on May 12. The Reserve Airmen were flying an HC-130J Combat King II and an HH-60W Jolly Green II on a routine training flight when a Coast Guard call diverted…