Air Force Maj. Gen. Peter Gersten, deputy commander for operations and intelligence for the coalition efforts against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), recently detailed how additional troops and technology will aid in the campaign.
The coalition’s efforts against ISIL, Operation Inherent Resolve, will receive up to 450 more U.S. troops and technology, including B-52 bombers, further cyber capabilities and High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
The B-52s are new Stratofortresses, which are highly upgraded from the B-52s used throughout the 1960s and 1970s. They allow for accurate and precise strikes.
“As the general officer responsible for synchronizing all combat operations in this theater, I can assure you that we do everything possible to mitigate the loss of civilian life and minimize collateral damage as we engage this enemy,” Gersten said.
Gersten also briefly discussed using cyber capabilities at the high end of the coalition’s combat operations spectrum, as well as how HIMARS, which he described as very agile, will support the efforts of Turkish forces on the ground.
Gersten said the coalition will “bring everything to bear against this enemy, wherever it presents itself.”
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