In Afghanistan on May 21, USAF F-15Es used GBU-31 and GBU-38 joint direct attack munitions to destroy enemy combatants in Bermel and Nangalam, according to a May 22 Air Force release from Southwest Asia. And, in Gardez, Afghanistan, a USAF B-1B dropped GBU-38 JDAMs, taking out enemy combatants fighting friendly forces. Joint terminal attack controllers confirmed the success of each engagement and multiple shows of force in various areas by USAF and other coalition aircraft.
The Air Force’s nascent KC-Z program, aimed at developing a next-generation family of systems for aerial refueling, will look to launch its analysis-of-alternatives study in 2024, years earlier than originally planned. Originally, the analysis of alternatives for KC-Z was set for “maybe in the 2030s,” Paul Waugh, program executive officer…