Russia on Thursday said crews manning its advanced air defense systems in Syria will not contact the US if they use their missile system, a hint that it could target aircraft hitting Syrian government forces without warning. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the S-300 crews would not have time to use the line of communication between the US and Russia if it were to use its air defenses to protect Syrian troops, the Associated Press reported. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said on Thursday that the line of communication so far “has been effective in reducing risk to our pilots and aircrews as well as Russian aircrews.” The memorandum of understanding is an opportunity to avoid “misunderstandings and miscommunications” and the US urges Russia to use the line as much as possible, though “we’ll leave it to the Russians to participate in that as they see fit,” added Cook.
The Air Force will look to the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in a closed solicitation that will create the Air Force's first university-affiliated research center (UARC), Air Force leaders said. The center will study tactical autonomy. The DAF will select the center's location from one of 11…