Posted on 01/16/2012 7:31:36 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
A Changed Way of War in Afghanistan’s Skies
By C. J. CHIVERS
INSIDE STRIKE FIGHTER VENGEANCE 13, over Kandahar Province, Afghanistan — Cmdr. Layne McDowell glanced over his left shoulder, through the canopy of a Navy F/A-18, to an Afghan canyon 9,000 feet below. An American infantry company was down there.
The soldiers had been inserted by helicopter. Now a ground controller wanted the three strike fighters circling overhead to send a sign — both to the grunts and to any Taliban fighters shadowing them as they walked.
Commander McDowell banked and aligned his jet’s nose with the canyon’s northeastern end. Then he followed his wingmen’s lead. He dived, pulled level at 5,000 feet and accelerated down the canyon’s axis at 620 miles per hour, broadcasting his proximity with an extended engine roar.
In the lexicon of close air support, his maneuver was a “show of presence” — a mid-altitude, nonlethal display intended to reassure ground troops and signal to the Taliban that the soldiers were not alone. It reflected a sharp shift in the application of American air power, de-emphasizing overpowering violence in favor of sorties that often end without munitions being dropped.
The use of air power has changed markedly during the long Afghan conflict, reflecting the political costs and sensitivities of civilian casualties caused by errant or indiscriminate strikes and the increasing use of aerial drones, which can watch over potential targets for extended periods with no risk to pilots or more expensive aircraft.
Fighter jets with pilots, however, remain an essential component of the war, in part because little else in the allied arsenal is considered as versatile or imposing, and because of improvements in the aircraft’s sensors.
Commander McDowell’s career has followed the arc of this changing role. At the outset of the war
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Only when they’re out of ammo.
“And, the sissy is always riding what looks like his daughters’ girls’ bicycle. “
****
I’m convinced that Obongo’s a homosexual. Guy’s a wuss and a coward, to boot.
“Who’s formulating foreign policy - Jimmy Carter?”
Probably......and this might have Ron Paul’s fingerprints on it, too! /S
hmmm,
how you gonna score that at Red Flag or Top Gun ?
Decibel levels ?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.