US aircraft hit ISIS targets in Afghanistan with about 80 airstrikes through the end of March, the strong majority of the nearly 100 airstrikes conducted during the first three months of the year. The strikes, which occurred mostly in the Nangarhar Province, hit every part of the ISIS network in an effort to keep the terrorists focused on “trying to survive” instead of planning attacks, Army Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, the deputy chief of staff for communication for the Resolute Support mission, said during a Thursday briefing. Three months ago, US intelligence showed ISIS personnel in six to eight districts. N?ow it appears like that number has shrunk to about two to three districts. The total ISIS force in Afghanistan is somewhere between 1,000 and 3,000, Cleveland said. (See also: Increasing Airstrikes in Afghanistan.)
The Air Force is seeking to buy around 108 new aircraft in fiscal 2027—though really, officials wish they could get more. The issue isn’t just more money, according to the service’s No. 2 officer; contractors just aren't able to produce enough aircraft at the present moment, Gen. John Lamontagne said…