US and coalition strike aircraft carried out 70 close air support missions in Afghanistan and 56 in Iraq on July 17, with Air Force A-10s, B-1Bs, and F-15Es leading the way, based on Air Forces Central’s summary of air activities for that day. In Afghanistan, B-1Bs were active near Nangalam and Shindad, attacking enemy positions with 500-pound and 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions. Also near Nangalam, A-10s hit enemy positions with general-purpose 500-pound bombs and strafed them with cannon rounds and rockets. F-15Es were also engaged enemy combatants near Nangalam, pounding them with 2,000-pound JDAMs.
The Air Force still needs more than 300 combat squadrons, but the biggest priority is not number of squadrons but capability, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. said Sept. 22. He also suggested the records set by the Next Generation Air Dominance prototype likely have more to do…