Page 16 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

NEWS North America

US uses Kobani Landing

Zone to aid withdrawal

A Tunner 60K Aircraft Cargo Loader shifting ammunition onto USAF/437th Airlift Wing C-17A 09-
9212 at the austere Kobani Landing Zone (KLZ) in northern Syria on October 21 as part of the
withdrawal of US forces from the region. USAF/Staff Sgt Joshua Hammock

IN LATE October, USAF and equipment had been Operation Peace Spring. US DoD, showing a USAF
C-17As were being used to removed from the country. Despite the US withdrawal C-17A in northern Syria on E-8C JSTARS
facilitate the withdrawal of The austere airstrip at KLZ of the bulk of its troops, November 1 unloading M2A2
US forces from northern was built from scratch by in a slight reversal, US Bradley infantry fighting completes
Syria, following President US forces in 2016, when the Defense Secretary Mark vehicles from the US Army’s CENTCOM
Donald Trump’s October 621st Contingency Response Esper announced at a press 4th Battalion, 118th Infantry
6 order to pull out of the Group laid a runway with conference at the conclusion Regiment, 30th Armored mission
northeast of the country. a crushed rock surface of NATO meetings in Brigade Combat Team, North
For this purpose, the US to permit C-130 landings. Brussels on October 25 that Carolina Army National AFTER 18 years in
has kept open the Kobani This enabled the US to not all US personnel would Guard, attached to the 218th theatre, the USAF’s E-8C
Landing Zone (KLZ), located bring troops closer to the be leaving Syria. Esper Maneuver Enhancement Joint Surveillance Target
near the city of Kobani fighting during the retaking said the US will maintain Brigade, South Carolina Attack Radar System
(officially Ayn al-Arab) in of Raqqa from so-called a presence at the Al-Tanf Army National Guard. The (JSTARS) has departed
the Aleppo governorate, 90 Islamic State. The airstrip garrison. He continued: “We location of the airstrip the US Central Command
miles (145km) north of Raqqa initially saw limited use, due are also considering how we used was not revealed, (CENTCOM) area of
and immediately south of to the condition of its runway might reposition forces in the but informed sources responsibility. The second
Syria’s northern border with surface, but in 2017 the 621st area in order to ensure the indicate it was Jabal Ghul, longest deployment in the
Turkey. Images released returned and upgraded it to oil fields. We are reinforcing 18 miles (30km) northwest service’s history came to
by the US Department of enable it to take any type that position, and it will of Hasakah, the capital of an end on October 1 with
Defense (DoD) show C-17As of aircraft operated by the include some mechanised the Al-Hasakah governate the completion of the final
being loaded with equipment DoD, including the C-17A. forces and I am not going in the extreme northeast sortie from Al Udeid Air
at KLZ on October 23 and The controversial to get into details. The of Syria. The mechanised Base, Qatar. The mission
25. These included various withdrawal left the way United States will maintain infantry will support was flown by Col Konata
Mine-Resistant Ambush open for Turkey to begin a reduced presence in Syria Combined Joint Task Force- Crumbly, 116th Air Control
Protected vehicles, four- its offensive into northeast to deny ISIS access to oil Operation Inherent Resolve Wing (ACW) commander.
wheel-drive pick-ups, Syria, which begin on revenue as we reposition (CJTF-OIR) and partner JSTARS had been
containers and pallets of October 9 with Turkish Air for the next phase of the with Syrian Democratic continually deployed
ammunition. The landing Force strikes on Syrian Defeat-ISIS campaign.” Forces to deny IS access to the CENTCOM area
strip was due to remain in border towns, beginning This was confirmed by to critical infrastructure in of responsibility since
use until all necessary troops what Turkey has named images released later by the eastern Syria. Dave Allport November 2001. In the
process, the aircraft flew
10,938 sorties, equivalent
‘Triple Nickel’ to 114,426.6 combat
flying hours in support of
F-16s deploy operations in the Middle
East and Southwest Asia
to Al Udeid that included Enduring
Freedom, Iraqi Freedom,
AS PART of US plans to Freedom’s Sentinel
boost its current air power and Inherent Resolve.
assets in the Middle East, Team JSTARS was
an unspecified number of established at Robins
USAF F-16Cs have been Air Force Base, Georgia,
deployed to Al Udeid Air on October 1, 2002, as
Base, Qatar. The aircraft are the air force’s first ‘total
from the 31st Fighter Wing’s force initiative’ wing. It
555th Fighter Squadron comprises the Georgia
‘Triple Nickel’ at Aviano Air Air National Guard’s
Base, Italy. The unit’s F-16s Above: Airmen prepare USAF F-16C 89-2152 ‘AV’ of the 31st Fighter Wing/555th Fighter Squadron 116th ACW, Air Combat
departed from Aviano for ‘Triple Nickel’ for departure from Aviano on October 28, for a deployment to Al Udeid AB. USAF/ Command’s 461st ACW,
Al Udeid on October 28 Airman 1st Class Caleb House and the active-duty Army
to participate in ongoing Another USAF F-16 unit 79th Fighter Squadron Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Intelligence and Security
combat operations in support deployed to support Central ‘Tigers’ from Shaw Air Force on October 25 to join the Command’s 138th Military
of US Central Command’s Command operations has Base, South Carolina. The 455th Air Expeditionary Intelligence Company.
379th Air Expeditionary Wing. been the 20th Fighter Wing’s Squadron’s F-16Cs arrived at Wing. Dave Allport

16 // December 2019 #381 www.Key.Aero

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