"The US has so far burned through roughly 80 percent of its THAAD interceptors and about half of its Patriot missiles," CNN reported — a stark measure of material strain arriving as Lt. Gen. Daniel Lasica assumes command of US Air Forces Central (AFCENT).
Lt. Gen. Daniel Lasica assumes command of AFCENT
On Tuesday Lt. Gen. Daniel Lasica took over as commander of US Air Forces Central, succeeding Lt. Gen. Derek France in a ceremony at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. France is now expected to retire after closing out his two-year stint as AFCENT’s commander, according to a press release from US Central Command. Lasica’s nomination for the AFCENT post was confirmed by the Senate in July, and the promotion pinned a third star on him.
Lasica is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and a fighter pilot by trade. Immediately prior to the assignment he served as director of operations for US European Command.
AFCENT’s mission amid a full-out air and missile war with Iran
Lasica takes command while AFCENT oversees American air operations in the Middle East during the US war with Iran. The command has in recent years surged forces to the region for intensive combat operations, including an overnight strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities last year and an ongoing, full-out air and missile war with Tehran launched under Operation Epic Fury.
Airpower has been central to that campaign and would likely play a key role if the president pursues further military action. President Donald Trump recently threatened major combat operations but ultimately postponed action on Aug. 1 to buy time for peace talks, the reporting says.
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End the scrambleAFCENT command locations: Shaw and Al Udeid
AFCENT operates dual command cells: one at Shaw Air Force Base and another at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the latter functioning as a combined air operations center. The Qatari facility was evacuated earlier this year in anticipation of an attack and subsequently took a direct hit from an Iranian missile barrage, Air & Space Forces Magazine previously reported.
The dispersed command posture and the need to protect forward installations figure into the immediate operational challenges Lasica inherits.
Operational pressures: losses, munitions, and aircrew incidents
The war has exacted a heavy toll: 18 troops have died and hundreds more have been wounded, reporting states. The US has lost key aircraft, including an E-3 AWACS, and has seen the reported downing of dozens of MQ-9A Reaper drones.
There have also been combat-injured aircrews. An American F-15 fighter jet was shot down in Iran in April, and its two crew members were rescued by US forces with support from AFCENT. Weeks earlier an F-35A pilot suffered shrapnel wounds after his aircraft was hit by ground fire, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported.
Logistics and survivability are under strain. CNN reported the near-exhaustion of missile interceptors — roughly 80 percent of THAAD interceptors and about half of Patriot missiles have been expended — reducing the inventory available to protect US installations and air bases. Reuters previously reported a similarly diminished inventory of ground-launched precision munitions, increasing the operational importance of air-delivered weapons from manned fighters and bombers.
What this means for President Donald Trump, US Central Command, and AFCENT aircrews
- President Donald Trump: The president faces a calculus tied to available airpower and defensive inventories; further military action would likely lean on air assets while also contending with decreased interceptor and munitions stocks, per the reporting.
- US Central Command: CENTCOM has overseen the transition and noted France’s imminent retirement; CENTCOM’s press release framed the change of command as a routine succession even as the region’s operational tempo remains elevated.
- AFCENT aircrews and base defenders: Pilots and base defenders must operate amid recent aircraft losses, injured personnel, and constrained interceptor and munitions inventories — factors that increase risk during contested operations and heighten reliance on air-delivered strikes.
Lasica steps into command with pedigree and Senate confirmation, but the balance of force, resupply, and forward protection will shape how effectively AFCENT can sustain current operations. With interceptor stocks depleted and precision munitions short, a central question remains concrete and immediate: how will AFCENT adjust tactics, basing and logistics to preserve force protection and prosecute strikes under the current material constraints?
