Air Force Expands Airlift Operations in Iraq to Mitigate Roadside Bombing Threats

Air Force officials have announced a significant expansion of airlift operations in Iraq to reduce the number of ground convoys, a move aimed at mitigating the threat of roadside bombings and ambushes to American military personnel. Dozens of Air Force C-130 and C-17 transport planes, as well as contracted commercial aircraft, are ferrying approximately 450 tons of cargo daily, a 29 percent increase from the previous month. This airlift effort is expected to keep hundreds of trucks and drivers off the most dangerous roads in Iraq, where American military convoys have suffered about 100 deaths and injuries per month.

Key Takeaways:

• The Air Force is airlifting approximately 450 tons of cargo per day, including spare parts, food, water, medical supplies, and other materiel.
• The increased airlift operations have kept more than 400 trucks and 1,050 drivers with military escorts off the most dangerous roads in Iraq in the past month.
• American military convoys have experienced approximately 100 deaths and injuries per month due to roadside bombings and ambushes.
• The Air Force has flown 44 six-ton armored Humvees to Baghdad from Kuwait in the past month, saving the Army from making trips over dangerous highways and roads.
• The Air Force is considering airdrops or landing on roadways if needed to support the increased airlift operations.
• The decision reflects the judgment of air and ground commanders that the insurgency will continue to pose a lethal threat to American supply lines.
• The increased airlift operation adds fuel costs and other expenses to the $4.4 billion monthly price tag of the Iraq operation.

Statistics:

• 450 tons of cargo airlifted per day
• 29 percent increase in airlift operations from the previous month
• 100 deaths and injuries per month for American military convoys
• 400 trucks and 1,050 drivers removed from the most dangerous roads in Iraq in the past month
• 44 six-ton armored Humvees flown to Baghdad from Kuwait in the past month
• $4.4 billion monthly price tag for the Iraq operation
• $80 billion projected for military costs in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005

Sources:

• An Air Force spokesman, Lt. Col. Mike Caldwell
• Gen. John P. Jumper, the Air Force chief of staff
• Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld
• Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of allied forces in the Persian Gulf war
• The Washington Post (stepped-up airlift operations were first reported on Sunday)
• General Jumper and other Air Force officials (new details provided on Tuesday)
• The Wall Street Journal (reporting on Pentagon's request for $80 billion for military costs in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005)