CENTAF releases daily airpower summary report Published Dec. 22, 2005 SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary. Coalition aircraft flew 54 close-air-support missions Dec. 21 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. They included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist activities. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-15 Eagles provided close air support to coalition troops in contact with anti-Iraqi forces near Balad, Baquba and Samarra. In addition, 10 Air Force and Navy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Iraq. Also, Air Force fighter aircraft performed in a non-traditional ISR role with their electro-optical and infrared sensors. In Afghanistan, coalition aircraft flew 24 close-air-support missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. They included support to coalition and Afghan troops, reconstruction activities and the conduct of presence route patrols. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, a B-52 Stratofortress and an MQ-1 Predators provided close air support to coalition forces in contact with enemy troops near Orgun-E. The A-10s strafed insurgent positions and successfully dropped general-purpose 500-pound bombs, while the B-52 successfully dropped precision-guided munitions and the Predators successfully fired Hellfire missiles against additional insurgent positions. In addition, six Air Force ISR aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Afghanistan. Air Force C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster IIIs provided intratheater heavy airlift support, helping sustain operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa. They flew 200 airlift sorties, delivered 315 tons of cargo and transported 4,100 passengers. This included approximately 6,000 pounds of civic aid air-dropped in central Afghanistan. Coalition C-130 crews from Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea flew in support of either OIF or OEF. On Dec. 20, Air Force tankers flew 28 sorties and off-loaded nearly 2.1 million pounds of fuel.