The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, told defense reporters this week that weapons made in Iran now are making their way to Afghanistan. Pace said that it’s not clear in Afghanistan “which Iranian entity is responsible.” (Earlier this year, Pace created a brief furor with his characterization of the level of Iranian involvement in getting weapons into Iraq.) The weapons intercepted in Afghanistan on their way to the Taliban included mortars and C4 explosives.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.