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First Combat:Air Force F-35As Support Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service

On 30 April 2019,two US Air Force F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters struck a Daesh tunnel network (Daesh is another word for Islamic State) at Wadi Ashai,which is deep within Iraq's Hamrin Mountains,US CENTCOM said in a news release.The aircraft,on the first ever combat sortie for the Air Force version of the F-35,were refueled by a USAF KC-10 Extender tanker,having been launched from al-Dhafra Air Base in the UAE.Reaching the target,they released a Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) to hit the entrenched tunnel network and a weapons cache,which were in a position to attack Global Coalition forces.The mission was in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve,the 74 nation effort to neutralise Daesh and its ideology.*
LTC Yosef Morris,commander,4th Fighter Wing and himself an F-35 pilot,described the fifth generation fighter's capabilities:
We have the ability to gather,fuse and pass so much information,that we make every friendly aircraft more survivable and lethal.That,combined with low-observable technology,allows us to really complement any combined force package be ready to support AOR contingencies.The F-35A has sensors everywhere.It has advanced radar,and it is gathering and fusing all this information from the battlespace in real time.Now it has the ability to take that information and share it with other F-35s or even fourth generation aircraft in the same package that can also see the integrated picture.*
The aircraft were specifically supporting an Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) attack on Daesh sleeper cells and their support base.Daesh is believed to be moving materiel and people into the area in a drive to support a resurgence of operations following their total loss of urban strongholds in Iraq and Syria.In preparation for CTS clearance operations,CJTF-OIR destroyed several tunnel systems;buildings;caves;and command and control positions.The strikes and clearance operations also removed many Daesh fighters from the battlefield,US CENTCOM said.*
In its strike summary for 21 April-4 May 2019,CJTF-OIR said it conducted 10 strikes-all in Iraq-consisting of 40 engagements,engaging four Daesh tactical units,and destroying three tunnels;two buildings;two weapons caches;two supply routes;and one cargo container.The summary contains all strikes conducted by fighter,attack,bomber,rotary-wing,remotely piloted aircraft,rocket propelled artillery and ground-based tactical artillery.*
The versatile McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) KC-10 Extender can also carry 75 passengers and 170,000 pounds of cargo while on refueling missions.*
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As Britain Deploys Apaches,NATO Launches Spring Storm 19

Much attention has been focused on Estonia the past few weeks.On 15 April 2019, Great Britain deployed five AH-64 Apache attack helicopters​ to Tapa in Northeast Estonia,150 kilometers from the Russian border.These are being supported by more than 100 British personnel and Estonian  AW159 Wildcat reconnaissance helicopters.Their mission is to bulk up NATO's enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) initiative on the Alliance's Eastern Front.
What is more, the British SAS Special Operations Forces are reportedly posted on the border with Russia to monitor Russian troop movements.*
On 29 April, the annual Spring Storm exercise commenced in the same​ area,Laane-Vira and Ida Vira counties, according to the Baltic News Service.The drills will run till 20 May.
Participating besides Estonia are the following Allies and partners: Belgium, Canada,Finland, France, Georgia, Germany,Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, the UK and the USA.About 10,000 troops,up from 9,000 last year, will seek to improve synchronisation and other tactical skills during the wargames, focused on bringing the Estonian Defence Forces to peak readiness​.
Tanks from France and the UK will join Eurofighter aircraft from Germany and the UK in honing warfighting acumen.The US Air Force is contributing Pavehawk helicopters, while Poland sends Su-22 ground attack jets into the mix.*
British Defence Minister Gavin Williamson explains:
It's a very credible threat that we see from Russia, and part of the reason that we're deploying five Apache attack helicopters is making sure that we're constantly adapting to a changing situation, but this is about deterrence.This is about NATO nations standing together in unity as one, and you see Great Britain playing the largest role in eFP, with the largest number of service personnel deployed.The enhancement of that deployment with the Apache helicopters is really vital and very, very important; and it's been very warmly received by so many nations.*
Adds MAJ David Lambert,CO of 663 Squadron,3 Regiment Army Air Corps:
Actually putting ourselves in a really flat area in close proximity to the Russian border brings some new,complex challenges that we need to look at.