Iraqi Air Force Attains Tenfold Increase in Sorties

By John J. Kruzel | American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 17, 2008 – Iraq's air force, with help from a U.S. transition team, attained a tenfold increase in its number of weekly sorties and doubled the size of its fleet over the past year, a military official said today.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert R. Allardice, commander of the Coalition Air Force Transition Team, said the Iraqi air force in 2007 evolved from flying about 30 sorties a week to 300 by the end of the year. At the same time, the force's fleet grew from 28 airplanes to 56.

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