US,Jordan Prepare for Regional Crisis with Desert Drills

As part of the annual US Central Command-Jordanian Exercise Eager Lion,US and Jordanian Marines,as well as Italian soldiers,trained in the Jordanian desert last week.Jordan has been the most active Middle Eastern member of the anti-ISIL Operation Inherent Resolve.Last year,its pilots flew more missions against ISIL in Iraq and Syria than all the other Middle Eastern members combined,so it is evident why these bilateral military drills are so critical to both countries.They believe they must be able to respond effectively to a regional security crisis together.*
Every other year,Eager Lion is open to substantial multilateral participation.In 2015,19 countries participated;and even more are anticipated next year.*
On 18 May,the troops,who are Joint Tactical Air Controllers and Joint Forward Observers,assembled on a desert hilltop under the scenario of gathering data to provide to aircraft and artillery,so that 30,000 pounds of explosives could be dropped on an enemy column of armoured vehicles preparatory to an infantry assault.*
The US Marine JTACs from Kilo Company,Battalion Landing Team,3rd Battalion 6th Marine Regiment,24th Marine Expeditionary Unit,trained with their allies for two weeks to gain familiarity with each others' tactics and procedures.These Fire Support Teams,or FiSTs,mitigate the enemy advantages by directing fire from artillery,naval guns and aircraft.They shape the battlefield,destroying and neutralising targets so the ground unit can move,said 1st Lieutenant Bryan C. McDonald,Fire Support Officer with Kilo Company.He praised his Jordanian and Italian allies as being efficient.*
In this case,the fire support came from 2 US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers and AH-64 Apache helicopters,along with 2 sections of Royal Jordanian F-16s and AH-1 Cobras,besides mortars.The mortars were used first.
The FiST marks targets with ground-based lasers,infrared lasers or smoke rounds so aircraft can identify them easily.*
Exercise Eager Lion 2016 ran from 15-24 May.The scenarios simulated a coordinated,partnered military response to conventional and unconventional threats,including chemical,biological and nuclear.Six thousand troops-three thousand each from the US and Jordan-participated this year.Eager Lion is the largest exercise US Central Command participates in.
General Joseph L. Votel,US Army,is US CENTCOM Commander.Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve,under the command of Lieutenant General Sean McFarland,US Army,is a subordinate command under US CENTCOM.*
The 24th MEU is currently embarked on ships of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group,which has been deployed to maintain regional security in the US 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility.

War On ISIL Update:Operation Tidal Wave II;French Airstrikes

The US-led Operation Inherent Resolve coalition has undertaken a systematic bombing campaign to deprive the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant of its revenue from Syrian oil fields.The effort is called Operation Tidal Wave II,named for the World War II operation in which US aircraft bombed nine Romanian oil refineries.As part of the campaign,OIR aircraft attacked a number of tanker trucks recently that were waiting to fill up outside an oil facility,destroying 116 of the tankers.The truck drivers themselves are probably not members of ISIL,said US Army Colonel Steve Warren of Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve in a press briefing,so we developed leaflets to drop to them and made low passes to shoo people away.We decided it is in our interest to go strike these trucks.Oil funds more than 50% of ISIL operations.It was a long process of analysis and discussion,and finally we reached the decision.It was a US CENTCOM commander decision.
The trucks we hit were queued up in the vicinity of one of these oil facilities we had been striking.There was a backlog and they were just sitting there.It was a pretty straightforward attack.The aircraft expended 24 500 lb. bombs and all their ammuntion.Some civilians ran from the trucks into a tent.They were legitimate military targets,but-just to show what we're about-the pilots decided they didn't need to strike them.
The trucks are just one link in the chain.What we've done in Operation Tidal Wave II is break every link in this chain.This was not a piecemeal execution.It was a sudden strike that swept across these oil fields.Their problem now is trying to find out how to fix their broken oil wells.*
ISIL's decision to start expanding their operations outside their borders is something that should concern everyone.That's why we're here;it's why the 65-nation coalition has come together to try to defeat it.I don't know if our campaign has caused that.*
Manjib Pocket is ISIL's last border crossing from Syria into Turkey.There are no US troops on the Turkish side conducting operations.We are working with the Turks to help them ultimately seal that border.*
We supplied the anti-ISIL Syrian Arab Coalition with ammunition about two months ago.We've made a decision not to announce further support,other than to say we reinforce success.*
The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is steaming on its way to the Eastern Mediterranean now.We don't have a specific arrival date.We're encouraged by the fact that the Charles de Gaulle is en route to that theatre.The Charles de Gaulle is supporting the US-led coalition.We do expect the French contribution to OIR to grow.
I don't have a casualty count for the French airstrikes on Raqqa,Syria.They were vetted targets in the slate to get hit eventually.We rarely ever get back battle damage assessments from these preplanned strikes,Colonel Warren noted.