Daily Report

Nov. 25, 2015

Turkey Shoots Down Russian Su-24

Two Turkish F-16s on border patrol engaged two Russian Su-24 jets near the Turkish-Syrian border and shot one of them down, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren confirmed Tuesday. Turkish officials said the Russian aircraft violated Turkey’s airspace,...

Russian Helicopter Reportedly Destroyed

A group of Syrian rebels that received TOW missiles from the US destroyed a Russian rescue helicopter Tuesday, not long after Turkish fighters shot down a Russian Su-24, reported Reuters. Russian military leaders said one of two Mi-8 search and...

Preventing Escalation

As details emerge about exactly what led Turkish F-16s to shoot down a Russian Su-24 near the Syrian border Tuesday morning, President Obama said it’s critical Turkey and Syria “are talking to each other to find out exactly what happened”...

US, France to “Scale Up Strikes” in Syria

During a joint press conference Tuesday with President Obama at the White House, French President François Hollande said the two leaders agreed to “scale up strikes” against ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq, to “broaden” the scope of those targets,...

A-10s, AC-130s Destroy More ISIS Fuel Trucks

American A-10s and AC-130 Spectre gunships destroyed 283 ISIS oil tanker trucks in Syria on Nov. 22, bringing the total number of ISIS fuel trucks destroyed in operation Tidal Wave II to 399, the spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve told...

JSTARS Recap Debate Rages On

While the Air Force is secure on its JSTARS recapitalization requirements, other Pentagon stakeholders have different ideas, USAF acquisition chief William LaPlante said Tuesday. Speaking with defense reporters on the eve of his resignation, LaPlante said, “there’s still debate in...

Confidence Game

Air Force acquisition chief William LaPlante is “confident” but “not cocky” that the Air Force’s choice of Northrop Grumman in the Long-Range Strike Bomber competition will stand up under the protest by losing bidder Boeing/Lockheed Martin. Speaking with reporters on...

Djibouti-Based Predators Standdown

The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing recently inactivated its detached MQ-1 Predator launch and recovery squadron at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. The 60th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron logged some 24,000 combat flying hours in support of three regional combatant commands, and was credited...

Latest GPS IIF Satellite Shifts to Air Force Control

Satellite controllers at Schriever AFB, Colo., took charge of the latest GPS IIF navigation satellite on Nov. 6, a mere six days after it was launched, according to a release. “It was a fast turn from launch to taking control...