Army Gen. David Petraeus, who commands US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, has requested NATO E-3 AWACS aircraft to alleviate management of air traffic over Afghanistan. Since that nation lacks an integrated air traffic control system, USAF AWACS platforms currently manage the increasingly busy Afghan airspace, but Petraeus would like additional capability next year, reports Reuters. Headquarters NATO is evaluating the request, which will then go to the member states for approval. It will likely meet German opposition, reports Der Spiegel, a German news magazine. German personnel make up a third of the multinational AWACS force. But the Afghan war is unpopular in Germany and the German government might be hard pressed to win support for the participation of up to 100 German airmen for the mission, according to the magazine. If deployed, the NATO airplanes would likely operate from Kona, Turkey.
Trump Admin Loosens Rules for US Military Airstrikes
Feb. 28, 2025
The Trump administration has granted U.S. military commanders more leeway to conduct airstrikes against suspected militant threats, a shift from the Biden administration policy that required greater sign-off from the White House and Pentagon, U.S. officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.