Airmen have been keeping plenty busy in Afghanistan this year, flying more than 162,000 total sorties. That includes about 90,000 combat sorties, 22,000 close air support missions, and 15,000 aerial refueling sorties, said Air Force Secretary Michael Donley during AFA’s Air and Space Conference in National Harbor, Md., Sept. 17. Airmen also have transported more than 1.2 million troops and delivered more than 380,000 tons of cargo, he added.
The Air Force could conduct an operation like Israel's successful air campaign against Iran's nuclear sites, military leadership and air defenses, but readiness issues would make it risky, airpower experts said. Limited spare parts and training, low mission capable rates and few flying hours would put a drag on USAF's…