On Saturday, USAF F-16s flew a pre-planned strike against an insurgent staging area in the vicinity of Baquba, Iraq—expending one GBU-38 and destroying the position. On Sunday, USAF A-10s performed air strikes against anti-coalition militia in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan—expending seven rockets and 884 rounds of 30 mm cannon fire.
With upgrades, F-16s can serve as a numbers-builder in the combat air forces until the 2040s, and it’s not necessary to launch its successor yet, program officials said at an industry conference. “We anticipate hundreds of F-16s in active service for decades to come,” meaning into the 2040s, Col. Tim…