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 overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.