US Adding Air Power, Intelligence Gathering In Afghanistan

February 7, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – A senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan says the U.S. is shifting combat aircraft, intelligence-gathering planes and other resources to Afghanistan.

Maj. Gen. James Hecker told reporters at the Pentagon in a video teleconference from Kabul that the U.S. now has 50 percent more intelligence and reconnaissance drones in Afghanistan, compared with last year.

Hecker is commander of coalition air forces in Afghanistan.

He says the U.S. also has added A-10 attack planes and will be adding combat search-and-rescue aircraft.

Also, Hecker says the broad collection of U.S. intelligence agencies is shifting the weight of its effort toward Afghanistan, now that combat against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria is winding down.