There’s a new Afghanistan war plan. Last fall, NATO commander General Stanley McChrystal rolled out more restrictive rules of engagement, heralding a “population-centric” approach to the war. U.S. President Barack Obama announced more U.S. troops. While U.S.-led forces in eastern Afghanistan doubled their efforts to prop up faltering local governance, troops in the south identified Taliban strongholds in Marjah and Kandahar and went on the offensive. “Has the U.S. broken the Taliban’s momentum?” reporter Nathan Hodge asked. Maybe. But there are new risks, too: the Dutch might pull out of a key southern province, and Afghan national leadership remains weak. The war might be going our way, for once, but it’s far from over. David Axe and Greg Scott head to “The ‘Stan” to see for themselves.
LTC Brad Lyons. Greg Scott photo.
by DAVID AXE
On February 8, a series of avalanches in the Salang Pass in Parwan province stranded thousands of motorists and killed nearly 200. Afghan forces were the first on the scene; U.S. troops arrived soon after. The Army’s Task Force Gladius sent in helicopters and set up a communications center while Air Force HH-60G rescue choppers swooped in to pluck out the most seriously injured and bring them to Bagram air base for treatment.
F-16C fighters from the 34th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, normally based at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, flew top cover, peering down at the snow with their Sniper targeting pods — this according to squadron commander Lieutenant Colonel Brad Lyons. The Sniper has a zooming, high-fidelity video camera that can easily pick out dark objects — people, cars — against a white background. The F-16 jockeys steered the low-flying HH-60s towards avalanche victims.
Afghanistan has seen a profound shift in the way the U.S. employs air power. More and more, tactical aircraft are being used for purposes other than dropping bombs and firing missiles. Most fighter missions involve providing surveillance imagery to ground forces. “It’s that coordination that’s incredibly powerful,” said Brigadier General Steve Kwast, commander of the air wing at Bagram.
Related:
Axeghanistan ‘10: Rocketville
Axeghanistan ‘10: Big Man
Axeghanistan ‘10: Parwan Patrol Video
Axeghanistan ‘10: Air Bridge Video
Axeghanistan ‘10: Easier by the Day
Axeghanistan ‘10: Moon Shot
Axeghanistan ‘10: Down Side of the Surge
Axeghanistan ‘10: “Now You Know More than You Did Five Minutes Ago”
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Do you think this was the insurgencies way to deter supply trucks. I did see a history of this area being bombed before when the Soviets invaded. The mission then was also to block soviet supply chains. The insurgents are practiced at deception.