On Aug. 27, USAF F-16s flew a pre-planned air strike in the vicinity of Baquaba, Iraq, expending two GBU-38s against an improvised explosive device staging site used by anti-Iraqi forces.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.