2 Tornado and 3 more Rafale in strikes against EEIL (Maj)
(BRUXELLES2) Additional resources are coming in dribs and drabs in operations in Iraq. During a surprise visit to the RAF base in Akrotiri (Cyprus), on the night of Thursday (October 2) to Friday (October 3), British Prime Minister David Cameron announced the arrival of 2 additional Tornado GR4 bomber aircraft in surveillance and airstrike operations on Daesh (EIIL / ISIL) in Iraq.
Keep Tempo for Shader Operation
This reinforcement brings to 8 the number of British fighter planes engaged. A necessary measure for make sure we can maintain this effort in the coming months said the Prime Minister. " British aircraft have already carried out a dozen sorties and strikes in four of these missions, successfully hitting eight targets ». The first reinforcement plane arrived on Thursday, the other Friday. 300 men are engaged in Operation Shader in Cyprus.
Destroyer joins US forces
The navy is also engaged in the operation against ISIL, said the Royal Marine. the destroyer Hms defender (D-36), present in the Gulf since June as part of the multinational operation against piracy (CTF-151), has just joined the international operation to ensure the protection of the American aircraft carrier, USS George H. W. Bush with American destroyers USS Truxton (DDG-103), USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) and the cruiser USS Phillipine (CG-58). It is from this ship in particular that the Tomahawks (Tlams) were sent which struck Syria on September 22.
One-year reprieve for the Tornado squadron
Before returning to the plane to go to Afghanistan, Cameron also announced to the airmen, mechanics and personnel of the Royal Air Force present on the base his decision to maintain 3 squadrons of Tornado in service until March 2016. 2nd (AC) Squadron which should have been dismantled in March 2015 is thus granted a one-year reprieve. Based at RAF Marham in Norfolk, the squadron has 16 Tornado aircraft. She should continue like this. to offer the precision fire force coupled with intelligence and surveillance “says the British Ministry of Defense.
Typoons unable to take on these missions
A common sense decision according to Air Commodore Andrew Lambert, a former Air Force official who commanded forces in Iraq, quoted by the Daily Mail. " This illustrates the chaos that reigns in planning at the Ministry of Defense. The RAF has been in a hurry, so squeezed like a lemon that now we've hit rock bottom. If 2nd (AC) Squadron is going to be saved, that makes sense. It would have been pure madness to get rid of this unit at a time when the tasks are increasing by leaps and bounds. And to put your finger where it hurts for British hunting: “ The Typhoons (Eurofighter) do not have the capacity to play the same role. Rather, they make circles in the air (pie in the sky)”.
French reinforcements too
The French government had decided on Wednesday (1er October), following a restricted defense council to strengthen the military force involved in the operation Chammal with the deployment of three fighter jets Flurry additional - which brings the French system to 9 Flurry - and an anti-aircraft frigate in the Arabian-Persian Gulf. In addition, Paris has decided to strengthen the participation of French liaison officers within the Allied command structures in the Arab-Persian Gulf. A reinforcement aimed at intensify the air support provided to the Iraqi forces, in terms of intelligence and armed reconnaissance ” we explain to the staff of the armies. The presence of a naval means will facilitate air control of all resources present in the area, in coordination with our allies ».
(NGV)
* Updated: article completed on 5.10 with details of the arrival of the Tornado and the presence of a British ship.
