According to the most recent National Intelligence Estimate, Iraq’s chances for stability will continue to deteriorate without substantial efforts and progress in the next 12 to 18 months to reverse polarization, persistent weakness of security forces, insurgent violence, and political extremism. The NIE maintains that multiple factors are responsible for the current situation, and the term “civil war” ‘does not adequately capture the complexity of the conflict, ranging from sect on sect attacks to attacks on coalition forces and criminal activity. The report predicts a significant increase in violence if coalition forces withdraw too quickly.
Today’s armament maintainers are tasked with performing flightline (O-Level) maintenance with an assortment of legacy test sets that greatly limit the ability to quickly and efficiently verify armament system readiness, diagnose failures, and ultimately return the aircraft to full mission...