The US military is launching a program this year called Africa Partnership Flight to help build the capacity of partner air forces on the African continent, said Army Gen. Carter Ham, head of US Africa Command. The first event under the APF rubric is scheduled for this month in Ghana, he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. AFP will be primarily an Air Force-run effort that “will enable committed African states to enhance their aviation capabilities, foster greater regional cooperation, and increase air domain safety and security in Africa,” stated Ham. It will feature “low-footprint, short-duration, high-impact, sustainable, and predictable engagement,” he said. AFP is modeled after the Navy’s Africa Partnership Station initiative, noted Ham in his March 1 testimony. (Ham’s prepared statement) (For more Ham coverage, read Building a Larger Guard Role in Africa.)
B-21 Raider First Flight Now Postponed to 2023
May 20, 2022
The Air Force says the B-21 Raider won't make its first flight until 2023; about a six-month delay from the last official estimates. No reason was given for the delay. While other programs have recently chalked up schedule slips to supply chain and labor shortages, the Air Force has said…