Mobility airmen delivered a pair of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles to Irbil, Iraq, just prior to the new year, announced the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. Supported by members of the 386th Expeditionary Operations Group and 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, a C-17 operating from the wing’s undisclosed operating location in the Arabian Gulf on Dec. 30 carried the MRAPs to the northern Iraq city, which is the capital of the country’s autonomous Kurdish region. The vehicles will help bolster the capabilities of Iraqi security forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters in their conflict with ISIS terrorists in the country. The Pentagon and leadership of Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve are making resupply and capability building of these forces a key part of rolling back ISIS. The delivery came as the Defense Department is working with the Iraqi government to meet requests for replacing Iraqi equipment and heavy weapons.
The Pentagon's list of 14 top technology priorities has been slimmed to six, to ensure they get the attention they need, Defense Research and Engineering director Emil Michael announced. Changes may be coming in authorities for funding them, as well.
