Milestone
Combat debut of the U.S. Air Force F-35A over Iraq
April 30, 2019
Two F-35As of the 4th Fighter Squadron, deployed from Al Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates, dropped a JDAM precision weapon on a tunnel network and weapons cache of the self-styled Islamic State at Wadi Ashai, in the Hamrin mountains of north-eastern Iraq. The mission was part of Operation Inherent Resolve. The aircraft, from Hill Air Force Base's 388th and 419th wings, had reached the region a fortnight earlier.