Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the head of Air Combat Command, praised the F-22 for its role in the fight against the Islamic State group.(Photo: Air Force)
Air Force Times: ACC commander predicts up to seven-year fight in Iraq, Syria
At 6 p.m. on a recent evening on a base in southwest Asia, an Air Force F-22 Raptor took off for a strike mission against the Islamic State group in Syria.
What the aircraft accomplished before it landed 11 1/2 hours later shows why the aircraft is vital to the U.S. fleet, and why it is now tasked with flying in every strike package that goes north into Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the head of Air Combat Command said Monday.
While airborne, the F-22 flew its strike mission, but was also "re-roled" five times during flight, meaning its main objective changed. The F-22 flew surveillance missions tracking fighters on the ground, used its advanced sensors to redirect other aircraft and call for additional strikes, passed along data on its missions and escorted bombers to their targets. While in flight, the F-22 required seven refuelings, Carlisle said.
WNU Editor: In this post he talks about the F-22 and how it is conducting military operations over Iraq and Syria .... but further down in the post he admits the following sobering assessment ....
.... This is all part of a "dynamic and rapidly changing" fight that Carlisle said he expects to last up to seven years.
Seven years!?!?!?!?!
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