Two B-1B bombers and four F-16 fighters carried out precision air strikes Jan. 10 against reported al Qaeda safe havens in Iraq’s Arab Jabour area. The Air Force reports more than 40 targets were hit in the raids during which the aircraft dispensed a total of 40,000 pounds of ordnance. The air strikes supported Phantom Phoenix, the overarching operation that includes Marne Thunderbolt, the large US-Iraqi ground push to rid Arab Jabour of anti-coalition elements.
The Air Force must better explain Agile Combat Employment concepts, align training standards, and address staff shortages to be ready to implement the strategy, according to a new report by the federally funded RAND Corporation.