Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley writes in a new CSAF’s Vector that “range and payload remain the soul of an air force, and the HH-47 exceeds our requirements in both areas.” Moseley was explaining the service’s selection of the Boeing HH-47 as the CSAR-X platform. He went on to explain that the Chinook-based airframe would “be capable of flying faster over longer ranges and higher altitudes, day or night, during adverse weather conditions, while carrying more personnel and specialized equipment than our legacy platform.” Moseley also highlighted the Air Force’s history in combat search and rescue, noting, “While other services do personnel recover, the Air Force is the only service with forces dedicated entirely to CSAR.”
As the Air Force readied for its June 21-22 strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the service was also putting its Agile Combat Employment strategy into action, dispersing combat aircraft and Airmen from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in preparation for a possible Iranian retaliatory attack. Some defense experts say…
