A KC-10 Extender from the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, refuels an F-22 Raptor from the 95th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron in support of a new offensive campaign in Afghanistan Nov. 19, 2017. (Tech Sgt. Gregory Brook/Air Force)
Defense News: F-22s conduct first airstrikes in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — In a first use of expanded military authorities in Afghanistan, U.S. warplanes destroyed eight Taliban opium production facilities in Helmand Province Sunday, the top U.S. general there said Monday.
U.S. Forces Afghanistan commander Gen. John Nicholson said U.S. and Afghan forces in total took out 10 facilities on the first day of Operation Jagged Knife, a combined air operation that involved Afghan A-29s and U.S. B-52s and F-22s to take out a series of factories that Nicholson said were used as a revenue source for the Taliban.
The operation marked the first use of the F-22 to conduct airstrikes in Afghanistan. The highly advanced stealth fighter has capabilities that exceed what should have been necessary to destroy a Taliban target, raising questions as to why that platform was selected.
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Update: Strikes on Taliban opium facilities first major use of new bombing authorities in Afghanistan (Stars and Stripes)
WNU Editor: A very expensive plane to use in what is essentially a drug raid. I am also surprised that F-22s are flying in the skies of Afghanistan. What are the air threats that the Pentagon is worried about?
4 comments:
This is so ridiculous. My thoughts exactly. It's the "use it or lose it" thinking. But unless the Taliban suddenly have S400s it feels like expensive overkill.
The F22 is an air dominance fighter. It is meant to not only kill planes but sweep the skies of all opposition.
F22 pilots need love too.
1) I think it is very important for an F22 pilot to get to Afghanistan. It is important for promotion.
2) Congress interferes with defense programs all the time. Often they pick the worst candidate for a program for jobs over the objections of the Pentagon and there has been no 'Revolt of the Admirals' lately. So it is good that the F22 is involved. If it were not some jackwagon like Franken would try to defund it.
3) The pilots are a little less bored, feel important instead of waiting for a day that never comes and they are not as likely to draw pictures in the sky.
I hate the wear and tear on the air frame, but everything else is a bonus and is much better than the usual training.
Aizino, I partially agree. .however
1. There hasn't been a single instance where a war on drugs worked. As demand will stay the same you should know that prices will go up. Druggies will less likely be able to afford their next fix, means crime around the world will increase as Afghanistan is the world's biggest supplier. This has been proven over and over and over again. Hence you can be sure that the temporary destruction of crops will cause an increase in capital crime, including murder around the world. Anyone might get affected by this. Ironically it'll likely be citizens in the US, the biggest market
2) a wrong idea and plan should not be used to increase the likelihood of promotion. Ever.
3) I enjoyed that picture in the sky. And judging from how much you hate sjw and pc,I'd think you too :)
I'd rather see more f22s stationed near North Korea and China. That's where they are useful and we might quite likely need them. And the promotion potential there will be vast too. And I would bet that most pilots would agree that fending of a nuclear rogue state and its enabler China would be more important
Finally - you know that opium is the bread and butter not only of the Taliban but a good portion of unemployed people in Afghanistan. Many times the civilians also don't get a choice but to work on those plantations or starve. Do we really need to bomb them? Wouldn't it be better to come up with real solutions to the opioid crisis than to jack up prices and increase violence and other crimes at home?
Looking forward to your reply :)
Anon,
"2) a wrong idea and plan should not be used to increase the likelihood of promotion."
If a F/A 18 pilots go to Afghanistan and fly missions, they have better chances to get promoted than F22 pilots.
You probably have different quals for both sets of planes. So do they route F22 pilots though F/A 18 quals and then send them to Afghanistan to fly F/A 18s?
Would you want to be a F22 pilots, who is not promoted due to no missions flown?
I could be completely wrong.
3) After reading the story linked below, I think the pilots are toast.
http://www.militarycorruption.com/penispilot.htm
The pilots could be demoted and sent to the Air Force to make up for their pilot shortage.
SJW are about as useful as the bubonic plague.
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