One of the US officials leading air operations in Southwest Asia, Air Force Maj. Gen. David Edgington, told reporters in Iraq this weekend that airstrikes are down from earlier this year when the number of sorties was running ahead compared to a year ago. He said that earlier data showed a “marked increase, about four times” in the number of weapons dropped, but that data for the past month has shown a “marked decrease.” He attributed the drop to the overall improvement in the security situation recently noted by senior US Central Command officials. Edgington said: “We are having less calls for [air] kinetic operations. We are still there,” meaning the air component continues to maintain combat air patrols should ground commanders call for air strikes. (Transcript with link to video clips)
The Air Force wants a new, affordable, air-launched standoff cruise missile ready to field in 2033. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center announced April 6 it will hold an industry day event to conduct market research on the Standoff Attack Weapon, or SoAW, on June 17 at Eglin Air…