In a Sept. 25 air strike near Al Nussayyib, Iraq, a USAF F-16 dropped two inertial navigation system/Global Positioning System-guided 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions, killing Abu Nasr al-Tunisi and two other al Qaeda operatives. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, Multinational Corps Iraq chief of staff, told Pentagon reporters that al-Tunisi was a foreigner who brought al Qaeda members into Iraq. He was a one of an inner circle of advisors to Ayyub al-Masri, the overall al Qaeda leader in Iraq. Anderson said his death “deals a significant blow to their operation.”
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.