The last B-1 bomber with the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB, S.D., has received the modifications to operate the Sniper targeting pod, wing officials announced Tuesday. With the integration now complete, the wing is able to incorporate Sniper training for all its B-1 aircrews. “The more jets we have available to train, the better we are able to hone our deployment skills,” said Capt. William Louie, weapons systems officer for Ellsworth’s 34th Bomb Squadron. Sniper acts as a long-range camera for pinpointing targets for precision strikes and close-air-support missions. In August 2008, a 34th BS aircraft became the first B-1 to use Sniper to deliver a precision-guided bomb in combat. “It’s hard to imagine doing close air support without it,” said Louie of Sniper. B-1s of the 7th BW at Dyess AFB, Tex., also operate Snipers. (Ellsworth report by A1C Jarad A. Denton)
Lockheed Martin is withdrawing personnel who support Iraq’s F-16 fleet from a major operating base because of threats from militias in the region, a step that will likely limit the fleet’s operations. The move comes after contractors left Balad Air Base in recent months because of the threat from Iranian-backed…