B-52 Bombers Carry Out First Airstrikes Against ISIS in Iraq

The U.S. Air Force's B-52 Stratofortresses on their first combat deployment to the Mideast since the 1991 Gulf war have conducted their initial airstrikes against ISIS, military officials said Wednesday.
"On Monday, this iconic platform conducted its first mission against an [ISIS] weapons storage facility in Qayyarah" in northwestern Iraq south of Mosul, said Army Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman in Baghdad for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.
Earlier this month, the B-52s, flying out of the al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, replaced B-1 Lancer bombers in the Air Force inventory for precision-guided bomb attacks against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and for close-air support missions for local forces. The B-1s returned to the U.S. for maintenance and upgrades.
The Eisenhower-era B-52s last conducted airstrikes in the Mideast from a base in Saudi Arabia against Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s. The aircraft also flew operational missions against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
military

Saudi Arabia to deploy jets in Turkey's İncirlik amid debate over timing

Saudi Arabia is sending planes to the İncirlik Air Base in the southern Turkish province of Adana, where jets from the U.S.-led anti-ISIL coalition are already based, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has stated, amid reports on Feb. 14 that the jets have already arrived.
“The Saudi kingdom now has a presence at the İncirlik base in Turkey,” Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri was quoted as saying by the Al-Arabiya TV station late on Feb. 13.
“Saudi warplanes are present with their crews to intensify aerial operations along with missions launched from bases in Saudi Arabia,” al-Assiri said, without going into further details.
However, Turkish military sources denied the arrival of Saudi warplanes.
Military sources told daily Hürriyet that Saudi warplanes had not arrived at İncirlik, adding that the timeframe of the Saudi jets’ arrival would extend to two or three weeks.
Riyadh and Ankara are both opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
hurriyetdailynews

Royal Netherlands Air Force F16 jets to start bombing in Syria

Dutch F16 fighter jets will take part in bombing raids over Syria, ministers agreed on Friday.
The Netherlands currently has four F16 fighters flying missions over Iraq and their mission will now be extended to eastern Syria. In addition, the Netherlands will ‘intensify’ its support for the Iraqi army and Kurdish forces in Iraq Kurdistan. The Netherlands has been under pressure from France and the US to get involved. However, the Dutch role in the wider region will stop at the end of June, when the Netherlands military campaign is due to end in July. Belgium will then take over from the Dutch but will confine its efforts to Iraq.
dutchnews

Russia carries out more long-range bombing sorties over Syria

Russian long-range bombers returned to action over Syria after a pause of just over two months in an attempt to drive back Islamic State forces besieging a government-held city in the east of the country.
The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 25 January that Tupolev Tu-22M3 ('Backfire') bombers flew 18 sorties to engage Islamic State assets in the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr (Deir ez-Zour) between 22 January and 24 January.
The MoD released a video showing two bombers taking off from a Russian airbase and each dropping about 12 FAB-250-270 unguided bombs, purportedly over Syria.
The previous round of long-range bomber strikes announced by the Russian MoD took place on 17-20 November and included Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers launching cruise missiles in addition to Tu-22M3s dropping unguided bombs.
janes

USAF to Delay A-10 Retirement, Thanks to ISIS

After trying to retire the battle-tested Warthog for the past two years, Air Force officials concede that the plane is key to the war on ISIS.
The Air Force is shelving its immediate plans to retire the A-10 Warthog attack plane, which has become critical to the U.S. bombing campaign against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, Pentagon officials tell Defense One.
Air Force officials say they still need to retire the A-10 to make room for newer warplanes, but that the calculus for its sunsetting has been thrown off by commanders’ demands for the Warthog now.
Putting the A-10’s retirement plans on hold is a key policy shift that will be laid out next month when the Pentagon submits its 2017 budget request to Congress, said Pentagon officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the Obama Administration’s spending plan before its official release.
An Air Force spokeswoman declined further comment because the Pentagon’s budget request has not been finalized and publicly released.
Top Air Force officials had already hinted that the A-10 retirement plans might be put on hold due to the planes’ demand in combat.
The venerable attack plane, often championed by Army and Marine Corps ground forces, was built to fly low and slow, close to the battlefield to work in tandem with ground troops. Top Air Force officials acknowledged that the A-10 flies these so-called close air support missions better than any other plane in the arsenal. But officials said other aircraft could fly these missions, albeit not as well as the Warthog. Retirement, they said, would free up money to pay for newer planes, like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a more expensive warplane intended to replace the A-10 and F-16 fighter.
Two years ago when the Air Force first proposed sending the A-10s into retirement, the service planned to shift maintenance workers from the Warthog to the F-35. At the time, no American forces were in Iraq or Syria and Washington was preparing to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. But since then, ISIS has spread across the Middle East and a resurgence of the Taliban has delayed the drawdown in Afghanistan.
The Air Force’s request to retire the A-10 has met with a wide wave of negative responses. In the midst of it all, the Air Force has deployed squadrons to fly combat missions against ISIS in both Iraq and Syria. Warthogs have also deployed to Europe where they flew in military drills with NATO allies.
Opponents of the A-10 retirement say the plane is effective both in lethality and cost for the current wars when compared to newer, high-performance aircraft like the F-16 fighter or B-1B bomber.
Congress has routinely blasted the Air Force’s A-10 retirement plans and blocked its retirement.
defenseone

German Tornados based in Turkey flew their first operational flight

Two Luftwaffe Tornados took off from Incirlik airbase, Turkey on Jan. 8 for Germany’s first operational flight over Syria.
bundeswehr

Chabelley Airfield in Djibouti The small airstrip that is the future of America’s way of war

The Pentagon is quietly building up a small airstrip in a remote region of east Africa as part of its war against Islamic militants. More importantly, the airfield is a complex microcosm of how Washington runs military operations overseas — and how America’s way of war will probably look for the foreseeable future.
Chabelley Airfield is less than 10 miles from the capital of the small African nation of Djibouti. The small airport is the hub for America’s drone operations in the nearby hotspots of Somalia and Yemen.
But in spite of all of this, Chabelley isn’t what it might otherwise seem – at least not officially. You see, the site is not technically an American base.
“Chebelley [as the Pentagon likes to spell it] was categorized by the U.S. Global Defense Posture Report to Congress as an enduring Cooperative Security Location based upon the U.S. strategic interests in maintaining access for the foreseeable future.”
In plain English, Washington does not own the site, sometimes referred to by the acronym CSL. In contrast to the big American bases in Europe and Asia during the Cold War, the Pentagon has favored cutting deals with countries for access to existing runways and ports in its fight against militants around the globe something that make sense in an era of shrinking budgets
reuters

Carrier Truman joins ISIS fight alongside French flattop

The aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman joined the fight against the Islamic State group Tuesday, launching the first missions over Iraq since the flotilla arrived in the Middle East in mid-December.
Truman joins Operation Inherent Resolve more than two months after the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group departed U.S. Central Command, leaving the region without a carrier for the first time in years.
The Truman is in the Persian Gulf with the French carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is fresh off strikes in Syria after the IS-directed terror attacks in Paris.
navytimes

Russia Prepares For Dogfights With NATO Over Syria

Russia is now equipping its Su-34 fighters with air-to-air missiles in preparation for potential dogfights with NATO over Syria.
Russia is not equipping its jets with air-to-air missiles to fight ground-based ISIS militants but rather to prevent Turkish F-16s from shooting down more of its planes.
Turkey, a NATO ally, shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber on Nov. 24, claiming it had violated Turkish airspace, but Moscow rejected the claim.
Numerous analysts also pointed out that even if the Russian jet did cross through the tiny strip of Turkey bordering Syria, it would have only been in Turkey for a matter of seconds.
infowars

F-22 Has Flown Almost 300 Sorties Against Islamic State

Lockheed Martin F-22s have dropped 446 weapons during 50 strike missions against Islamic State targets in Iraq, Syria, Air Combat Command says in statement.
Plane flown over half of all escort missions in 16-month campaign, ACC says
Majority of F-22 strikes against buildings, oil infrastructure, Air Force says
NOTE: F-22 made combat debut last year in early strikes against Islamic State; it was declared combat ready in December 2005
Through Feb. 2 at seven-month-mark of campaign, F-22s flew 112 Syria and Iraq sorties, dropped 132 munitions
about.bgov.com

British forces have continued to conduct air operations in the fight against Daesh

Daesh terrorists have suffered further losses, as Royal Air Force aircraft have continued operations over Syria and Iraq.
RAF Tornado GR4s, Typhoon FGR4s and Reaper remotely piloted aircraft have flown daily armed reconnaissance missions over both Syria and Iraq, collecting valuable intelligence on terrorist activity. In the course of these patrols, a number of targets have been successfully attacked by our aircraft.
gov.uk

Two Luftwaffe Tornados Take Off For Turkey

Two Tornado Recce aircraft of Taktischer Luftwaffengeschwader (Tactical Air Force Squadron) 51 "Immelmann" took off from their base in Jagel Dec. 10 for Incirlik, Turkey, from where they will fly missions over Syria in support of the international coalition fighting the so-called Islamic State.
Also taking off from Jagel was a Luftwaffe A400M with 40 personnel from the squadron, while an Airbus A310 multi-role tanker transport departed from the military airport at Cologne-Wahn.
All four aircraft arrived in Incirlik late in the afternoon of Dec. 10.
Up to six Luftwaffe Tornado Recce aircraft are due to begin flying reconnaissance missions over Syria from Incirlik in January.
aviationweek

Syria conflict: Half of German Tornado jets 'not airworthy'

Only 29 of Germany's 66 Tornado jets are airworthy, a defence ministry report has revealed.
It comes two days before German MPs are expected to vote in favour of military action against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria.
Defence Minister has stressed that only six of the operational Tornado jets would be needed for the proposed mission.
Germany decided to join the fight against IS after an appeal by French President Francois Hollande in the wake of the 13 November Paris attacks.
But the readiness of Germany's armed forces has long been the subject of criticism.
"The state of our flying systems remains unsatisfactory," the German army's chief of staff General Volker Wieker was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
The defence ministry report, obtained by German media, blamed the problem on the "lack of availability of various spare parts".
Six Tornado reconnaissance aircraft, a naval frigate and a 1,200-strong force will be sent to Syria under the proposals backed by the German cabinet on Tuesday.
The Bundestag is set to start debating the plans on Wednesday, with a vote expected on Friday.
bbc.com

RAF Typhoons attack Syria for the first time

RAF jets have carried out their second set of air strikes in Syria since MPs backed military action against so-called Islamic State in the country.
The Omar oil fields were targeted for the second time, using two Tornados and, for the first time, two Typhoons.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who is visiting the British base for the Syria mission in Cyprus, said: "Last night saw the full force of the RAF."
Four Tornado jets launched the first UK air strikes in Syria on Thursday.
Bombing began hours after MPs gave their backing for military action, with the oil fields, which are in eastern Syria, targeted.
During his visit to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Mr Fallon thanked military personnel.
He made no assurances about the length of the campaign, telling them only it was "not going to be short or simple".
bbc.com

100th Sortie for RAF Airseeker and Sentinel against ISIS

The Royal Air Force’s newest surveillance aircraft, RC-135 Airseeker, and the RAF Sentinel battlefield surveillance aircraft both reached a major milestone last week as they flew their 100th operational sorties in the fight against ISIL.
raf.mod.uk

New Russian surface-to-air missiles in Syria, DoD confirms

U.S. pilots flying over Syria and Turkey will be in range of advanced Russian-made surface-to-air defense systems, Pentagon officials said.
U.S. intelligence shows that Russia is following through on plans to send S-400 missile systems into its military base in Syria, the officials said.
With a reported range of up to 248 miles, those missiles could put at risk most U.S. combat aircraft flying over Syria.
The S-400 Surface to Air Missile System that the Russian military has deployed to Syria has an estimated range of 400 kilometers. That puts most aircraft flying over Syria, as well as the U.S. aircraft at Turkey’s
Incirlik Air Base, at risk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the S-400 missiles to Syria one day after a Turkish F-16 aircraft shot down a Russian Su-24 jet last Tuesday. Turkish officials said the Russian aircraft veered into Turkish airspace for less than 30 seconds and was fired upon only after repeated verbal warnings.
Russia's installation of the S-400s prompted a rare phone call on Monday between Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his Russian counterpart, the first time in several months the two top military officers have spoken directly.
The U.S. and Russia signed a narrow agreement Oct. 20 outlining safety protocols for sharing the air space over Syria and avoiding mishaps and misunderstandings.
Dunford wanted Russia to " reaffirm its commitment to the memorandum of understanding" for sharing the skies over Syria, Dunford told lawmakers Tuesday.
Defense officials also acknowledged that Russia has begun arming its combat aircraft over Syria with air-to-air missiles.
A Pentagon spokesman expressed concern about the surface-to-air missiles and other aerial targeting weaponry because it suggests the Russians are rejecting a call from American officials to focus on targeting the Islamic State group, also known as ISIL or Daesh.
The U.S. recently sent air-to-air-capable F-15Cs to Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base near the Syrian border. Those aircraft are not slated for combat sorties over Syria but instead are assigned to a mission protecting Turkish airspace, officials say.
Those F-15Cs, deployed to Turkey in early November, so far have been limited to training missions and have not yet flown any combat air patrols.
militarytimes

UK says French can use Cyprus RAF base for Syria strikes on Isil

Britain has offered the French air force the use of RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus to mount air strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria.
David Cameron said the UK would do "all in our power" to support France in its fight against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (Isil) in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.
telegraph

Germany will send Tornado jets to Syria

Germany will deploy Tornado reconnaissance jets to support France in the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria.
Germany is also considering sending a frigate and refueling planes as part of the mission.
reuters

France Sends Charles de Gaulle Carrier Against ISIS

The French Navy’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier sailed Wednesday from Toulon naval base, and headed for the eastern Mediterranean to support coalition operations in Iraq and Syria.
The sailing, announced Nov. 5, has taken greater significance since the terrorist attacks here last week, as French President François Hollande has pledged to punish the ISIS forces which claimed responsibility for the killings.
The nuclear-powered vessel up anchored at 11:00 in the morning Paris time with 26 fighter jets on board and will arrive on station in the next few days.
HMS Defender, a Type 45 destroyer, has been assigned to sail with the French carrier, the British Ministry of Defence said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked the Russian Navy to sail with the Charles de Gaulle as a sign of political support. The Russian intelligence service has concluded that ISIS used a homemade bomb to bring down an Airbus 321 airliner flying over the Sinai desert, killing all 224 on board.
defensenews

USAF A-10s and C-130s destroy Islamic State fuel trucks

The Defense Department on Wednesday evening released video of a series of airstrikes targeting fuel trucks operated by the Islamic State group.
The Pentagon video — which refers to the Islamic State group as "Daesh," a derogatory Arabic term for the militant group — said the strikes took place Monday near Abu Kamal, Syria, as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.
The strikes destroyed 116 tanker trucks.
"This is our first strike against tanker trucks, and to minimize risks to civilians, we conducted a leaflet drop prior to the strike," spokeperson said.
airforcetimes