When US ground troops pull out of Iraq, the US Air Force probably would remain—for many years to come—confirmed the USAF Chief of Staff. Speaking with defense reporters Tuesday, Gen. Michael Moseley said, “I believe the air component will be there a long time.” As indigenous Iraqi ground troops take over more of the national security and constabulary functions in that country, the US Air Force likely will still have to support them with aerial sensors, close air support, and tactical airlift, Moseley said, noting that the Iraqi air force currently only has a few hand-me-down C-130s. He likened USAF operations in the future to the 1990s “no-fly zones”—Operations Northern and Southern Watch.
The Department of the Air Force has identified 50 programs that will make up the core of its contribution to the Pentagon’s joint all-domain command and control effort, branding them part of the “DAF Battle Network,” according to newly-released budget documents. The DAF Battle Network programs span multiple offices and agencies…