Afghan soldiers fire a D-30 Howitzer in Paktika Province, Afghanistan, in an undated photograph. Photo: ISAF
Coming This Year to Afghanistan: Way More Artillery Strikes -- Danger Room
As the U.S. tries to hand over responsibility for the Afghan war to the new Afghan military it’s built, some very old weapons systems are poised to become crucial: the mortar and the howitzer.
The plan for 2013 is for the 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan to draw down to an as-yet-undecided size at an as-yet-undecided pace. Those that remain will take a back seat to Afghans by the spring, as the Afghans plan and execute their own operations, a subtle shift from the “partnered” patrols the U.S. emphasized in 2012. Only the Afghans don’t yet have some of the crucial equipment, particularly fighter aircraft and attack helicopters, to help units that come under fire.
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My Comment: Today's artillery is very accurate and lethal. Lacking air-power the Afghan Army is going to become more dependent on these fire support stations. One big drawback .... I suspect that civilian casualties are going to escalate.
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