Sunni radicals fighting on behalf of the Islamic State in Iraq have been on the receiving end of at least 30 F/A-18s bombing runs that originated from the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier.
Rear Adm. DeWolfe Miller, commander of Carrier Strike Group Two, told reporters by phone from the Arabian Gulf that artillery positions, convoys and other strategic targets have been destroyed by the jets, which carry GBU-54 500-pound, laser-guided bombs, the military blog Defense Tech reported Wednesday.
When asked about the kind of anti-aircraft weapons that the Islamic State may have, the admiral only replied “We can handle whatever they have,” Defense Tech reported.
The Bush carrier strike group conducted 1,300 sorties over Afghanistan prior to shifting its operations over Iraq in the past two months. Since June, it has flown 1,000 sorties, the military website said.
“What we’ve shown throughout this deployment is flexibility, adaptability and the persistent nature of naval forces that are able to transition. Naval forces are where you need us when you need us with the capability that you need,” Adm. Miller said, Defense Tech reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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