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No bombs over Iraq in June

“0” as in zero.

That’s how many bombs Air Force and other coalition warplanes dropped over Iraq in June, the latest figures from Air Forces Central show.

In comparison, 437 bombs were used in Afghanistan during June.

The zero number of bombs marked the first time in at least 3.5 years that no munitions were released over Iraq

The Air Force continues to launch F-16 close-air support missions out of Joint Base Balad in Iraq, and carrier-based Navy jets also are in the air, but fewer missions are flown. During the first half of 2009, 4,461 close-air support sorties were flown, AFCent said. If the rate continues, U.S. planes will fly less than 50 percent of the missions flown in 2007 or 2008.

One result of the reduced need for air patrols was the decision to stand down one of the two expeditionary F-16 squadrons in Iraq, the commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq, Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, told reporters in March.

In Afghanistan, the number of close-air support sorties grows. As of the end of June, warplanes had flown 17,420 close-air support missions, compared with 19,092 for all of 2008, AFCent numbers showed.