Shifting Bombs Around

The Air Force is conducting constant analysis to make sure US Central Command has enough weapons to fight ISIS, and that means taking weapons away from other contingencies. Lt. Gen. Charles Brown, commander of Air Forces Central Command, said during a Thursday briefing that the number of weapons available to strike aircraft in Operation Inherent Resolve is “still a concern.” The coalition conducts a lot of strikes with precision-guided munitions and the Defense Department has not bought a large amount of those weapons since Afghanistan started drawing down because it did not “forecast for this operation.” The Air Force is increasing the numbers of weapons it will buy over the next five years. However, those weapons are still two years away, said Brown. In the meantime, the Air Force is doing analysis “about where to take risk” with other combatant commands so it can take weapons from one stock and bring it to the fight, he added. AFCENT is trying to be a “good steward” with these weapons and ensure that each one hits a meaningful target, Brown said. (See also: Addressing the Dwindling Stockpile.)