Turkey Wonk

The US led air war over Iraq and Syria began in August 2013, after the Islamic State’s rapid advances in Iraq threatened the Kurdish capital of Erbil. The war has expanded into Syria and the US has been joined by a sizable number of Arab and Western partners. To date, there have been 2,400 strike sorties and 10,000 bombs dropped from a variety of platforms, including strike aircraft, bombers, and unmanned drones. What are the challenges the coalition faces? How does the no boots on the ground pledge impact targeting? What challenges to do drone pilots face when trying to provide close air support for coalition allied forces? To answer these questions and to get a sense of the current state of the air war, Aaron speaks with David Mujamdar, a defense reporter specializing in aerospace issues.