Whatever the political stance taken on the conduct of air strikes in Iraq and Syria, if they are going to be performed in the same fashion and to the same degree that they have been for almost three years now, reducing any risk posed to civilians is a must.
Despite the use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast 21600 pounds/lb (9800 kilogram/kg) weapon, or ‘Mother of All Bombs’ as it was nicknamed by the media, by the US Air Force (USAF) to attack caves suspected to be used by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) in the Achin district of eastern Afghanistan on 13th April, most air strikes against the Islamist militia have tended to involve far smaller air-delivered weapons. This weapon was designed by the US Air Force Research Laboratory, with Dynetics as the systems integrator. On a daily basis air strikes are carried out by a coalition of nations under US command organised under the Combined Joint Task Force Operation INHERENT RESOLVE (CJTF-OIR). The raison d’être of CJTF-OIR is to: “militarily defeat (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) in the Combined Joint Operations Area (Iraq and Syria) in order to enable whole-of-coalition governmental actions to increase regional stability,” according to the mission’s website.
Denne historien er fra June - July 2017-utgaven av Asian Military Review.
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Denne historien er fra June - July 2017-utgaven av Asian Military Review.
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SMART MUNITIONS INCREASE MARKET SHARE
Top attack munitions are now widely developed for different artillery calibers with varied ranges.
NEXT GEN NVGS - A CLEAR IMPROVEMENT
Fused and enhanced night-vision technology will make the difference to soldiers fighting at night.
MILITARY ROTORCRAFT DEVELOPMENT - NO MORE ‘STOVEPIPES'
New rotorcraft are going to come with new abilities founded on open systems that provide easier upgrade paths and cheaper through life costs.
INDO PACIFIC UAV DIRECTORY 2021
The development of unmanned aerial vehicles is growing apace, especially in China. New longer range ISR platforms are also on the procurement list of several nations.
TIME TO RESET TRILATERAL RELATIONS
United States President Joe Biden has made it a top priority of his Administration to repair and re-energize global alliances during its first year in power. This is a necessary strategic and political calculus made in light of growing global security, public health, and environmental challenges that will require cooperation and multilateral contributions. President Trump’s ‘America first’ policy did much to undermine confidence in such relationships over his time in office.
SOCPAC KEEN TO SHARE JOINT DOCTRINE AND TRAINING
The return of Great Power competition means that US SOCPAC is more than ever seeking joint training opportunities with regional special forces.
MARINE ENGINE POWER - NOT JUST ABOUT KNOTS
Navies not only want more engine power, there are also coming under increasing pressure to become environmentally conscious.
AMPHIBIOUS FORCES
New amphibious concepts are re-shaping marine forces to break the A2AD defensive line.
SPACE V AIRBORNE ISR OR MIX AND MATCH
Owning satellite based ISR for military use is still an exclusive ‘club’, but airborne ISR still provides that most countries need.
SHIPBUILDING - A NUMBERS GAME
While experience grows among Indo-Pacific naval designers, order numbers remain crucial to keeping costs down and yards in business.
