The Coalition Air Force Transition Team: rebuilding Iraq's air force

Air & Space Power Journal, Winter, 2007 by Robert R. Allardice, Kyle "Brad" Head

ANYONE WHO WALKS into the dayroom of the Iraqi Air Force's 2nd squadron at Taji Air Base would likely see a group of pilots sitting around, talking flying with hand movements ("shooting their watch"), and sipping tea fromporcelain glasses--a scene typical of flying squadrons around the world. A closer look would reveal that half of those pilots are American aviators. on this particular day, they recount the events of their mission that called for monitoring the oil pipelines and passionately argue about how to best respond and stay in formation when attacked by a shoulder-fired missile. At 1400, as if on cue, the power goes out, and the discussion ends. The coalition Airmen head back to their offices to put in several hours' work on the next day's activities. All in all, it's just another day in the life of combat aviation advisors as they help build air power capacity for a partner nation.

In August 1990, Iraq possessed the sixth-largest air force in the world. (1) Battle-hardened from a nearly decade-long war against its archrival Iran, the Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) maintained and flew some of the most advanced aircraft in the world. (2) Then it lost most of its air assets in the Gulf war of 1991 and withered and regressed during the decade of United nations sanctions and no-fly zones, with the expected degradation of Iraq's once proud air force. By the end of major combat operations in operation Iraqi Freedom, the aircraft, defense systems, heavy-maintenance capability, and command and control (C2) structure had all disappeared. (3) All that remained were a few cratered runways and distant memories of the pre-1991 era.

On 18 August 2003, the Coalition Provisional Authority's order number 22 authorized the creation of new Iraqi armed forces, including a new IqAF. (4) letters of authorization, however, do not build air forces. Airmen do, when apportioned the appropriate training, education, experience, and resources to assemble the essential elements: technically qualified and motivated Iraqi personnel, adequate infrastructure, mission-suitable aircraft, and all the relevant training systems and tech data necessary to field and sustain a credible force. Despite the Coalition Provisional Authority's declaration and the United states' generous gift of three 1960s-vintage C-130s in January 200 , it was not until october 200 that a United states Central Command Air Forces assessment team was finally able to conduct site surveys in Iraq. Comprised of functional experts from across the Us Air Force, the team rapidly completed its assessment and published a comparative aircraft study two months later, which recommended how best to organize, train, and equip the IqAF to effectively meet the needs of the government of Iraq (GOI). (6) This document--the baseline for the relationship between the IqAF and the Us Air Force--serves as the foundation that defines the mission of the Coalition Air Force Transition Team (CAFTT). (7)

One of the most effective means of fighting and winning the military element of a counterinsurgency (COIN) environment involves training and fielding a competent host-nation security force. (8) Doing so has the dual effect of increasing the legitimacy of the host-nation government, while simultaneously diminishing the requirement for international/coalition forces, whose presence often only exacerbates the situation. (9) The CAFTT has the responsibility for assisting the GoI in fielding and employing an air force capable of helping it fight and win the current conflict while laying the foundation for the air force it will need to defend its national sovereignty well into the future. An incredibly complicated process in itself, building an air force in the middle of a war becomes infinitely more complex.

This article provides only a snapshot--an incomplete picture--of the CAFTT's effort in Iraq today. But the approach developed to address the unique challenges facing the IqAF offers a good framework to consider in future situations, if and when the Us Air Force finds itself helping a struggling nation build or rebuild an air force. The main lines of operation and lessons learned include examples of what worked and the challenges that still limit rapid progress. Finally, although the CAFTT has only a brief history, we continue to establish baseline recommendations to improve the predeployment training of combat aviation advisors.

The Importance of a Plan

The CAFTT simultaneously operates across the strategic, operational, and tactical spectrums of conventional military activities. Aviation advisors work hand in hand with the chief of the IqAF and his Air Staff to develop the planning and management processes and practices necessary to develop, field, and sustain the IqAF. These advisors also engage with members of the IqAF's Operational Headquarters to facilitate and envision a functioning air operations center and effective C2, as well as guide the development of the processes and procedures necessary to function at the operational level. Finally, over 200 Us Airmen from virtually every career field work daily on the flight lines, in the back shops, and in the classrooms--from Basra to kirkuk and several places in between. Their jobs entail assessing, training, advising, and assisting at the tactical level as well as nurturing the fledgling IqAF's operations. (10) Coordination of these efforts takes considerable energy and, of course, a plan. In fact, according to an old Arabic proverb, "The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, and a plan." Planners developed a campaign plan to establish a common sight picture to coordinate and synchronize efforts across the CAFTT (fig. 1).