B-2 bomber crews deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, turned around within a few days to test their long-duration sortie capability. The mission—dubbed “Polar Lightning”—required a two-ship formation to complete a mission at a training range in Alaska, resulting in a 9,800 nautical mile round trip from Andersen. Typical combat missions for the B-2 last 30 hours, according to unit officials. Air Force journalist TSgt. Mikal Canfield reports that mission preparation includes everything from aerial refueling arrangements to the rest plan and high-protein meals needed by the pilots.
A Defense Department team is on the ground in Ukraine assessing what the country needs to protect itself from air, naval, electronic, and cyber warfare threats as Russian troops gather on multiple fronts, a senior Ukrainian defense official told Air Force Magazine, describing an emphasis on what assistance can be…