The fledgling Afghan National Army Air Corps on April 2 staged its largest air assault to date. An ANAAC Mi-17 helicopter and Afghan commandos worked with US special operations forces and Army Apache, Blackhawk, and Chinook helicopters to infiltrate the village of Babus in the outer regions of Kabul. Although upwards of 20 insurgents were thought to be in the area, no resistance was encountered and the mission turned out to be peaceful. Still it was considered a success for building rapport with the Babus local elders and gathering intelligence from the villagers. This air assault is one of the ANAAC’s accomplishments so far this year as it grows in numbers and capability under the guidance of US Air Force and other NATO advisors. Others include establishing a flight surgeon program and commencing C-27 transport operations. (Kabul report by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class David Quillen)
While U.S. defense officials have spent much of the past decade warning that China is the nation’s pacing threat and its People’s Liberation Army represents an urgent threat in the Indo-Pacific, several defense researchers are skeptical that the PLA has the human capital, the structural ability, or the political appetite…