New rules of engagement will allow the Air Force to be more “proactive” in striking targets in Afghanistan, outgoing Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said Wednesday. Previously, USAF jets were “restricted to essentially supporting US troops in contact or troops on the ground in trouble, whether they were US or Afghan,” Welsh told defense reporters in Washington, D.C. The new rules allow the Air Force “to use airpower in a … broader way.” Commanders will have the flexibility to “shape the [battlefield] a little more,” by marking areas where there are hotspots of enemies, “identify targets that can be pre-approved that we can go after,” and strike them without waiting for a lengthy process of requests and authorities, Welsh said. That will help because “we don’t have the same number of aircraft in Afghanistan as we used to, and they’re not as widely based, so response times are a little slower. That’s why you’re seeing us use faster airplanes … because they have to cover more ground more quickly.” Welsh said the changes won’t affect USAF’s footprint in Afghanistan. “We have the resources there to do it,” he said.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
