More Sorties, More Munitions

January 8, 2008— Airpower sorties climbed in 2007 for operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Close Air Support sorties reached nearly 20,000 in Iraq and almost 14,000 in Afghanistan, compared to about 16,000 and 10,500, respectively, the previous year. The increased air support in Iraq followed the ground-force surge. In Afghanistan, the data also show a marked rise in the number of munitions dropped over the past two years, evidence of the resurgence of Taliban activity. The number of airlift sorties, covering both operations, declined somewhat in 2007, compared to 2006, but the overall amount of supplies airdropped to troops went up considerably.

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Too High a Risk?
"This issue is not about contractor 'A' or contractor 'B.' The issues is that we do not believe that it is prudent for up to 80 to 90 percent of the fighter fleet to be dependent on a single engine type, provided by one manufacturer. Being tied to one engine is too high an operational risk to take."
—Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), explaining why his House Armed Services Air and Land Forces Subcommittee had added funds to the 2010 defense budget to cover continued development of an alternate engine for the F-35, committee markup session, June 16, 2009.

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You Betcha
"Your decision to terminate the acquisition of the C-17s, the F- 22s, the DDG-1000, and the Future Combat System vehicles—we have concerns that it may send the wrong signal to our friends and our potential aggressors that we are reducing our capability. It may also have a long-term impact on our defense industrial base. It may diminish our capacity to provide deterrents and reduce our strength that we provide to our allies. We hope that this is not the consequence, but some of us are concerned."
—Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), parting remarks to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, Joint Chiefs Chairman, during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing, June 9, 2009.