UPDATED 16 OCTOBER 2014 | Feeding off wide-spread instability in Iraq after the departure of US forces and in Syria after armed groups took up a large-scale fight with the government forces loyal to president Assad, so-called Islamic State forces – numbering as many as 30,000 – have taken control over parts of Syria and Iraq. The forces known in short as ISIS or ISIL pushed local populations to flee by the hundreds of thousands. ISIS also assassinated several Western journalists and other nationals, causing furious reactions in those countries.
Fearing more instability in and maybe even at home by fellow countrymen supporting the Syrian uprising, many Western countries first enrolled in a humanitarian aid mission to refugees in Northern Iraq in Summer 2014. After much discussion this turned into a full-out air campaign led by the United States of America, with the first US air strikes on ISIS positions in Iraq on 8 August 2014 and the first US/international air strikes in Syria on 23 September 2014.
Although ISIS has a strong foothold on the ground and making the governments of Iraq and Syria quite nervous because of the advances ISIS makes, the group has no air assets. While Iraq fully supports the US led bombing campaign, Washington kind of just informed the Syrian government that they would start bombing. Being uncertain of the Syrian reaction, the US deployed its very advanced and stealthy F-22 Raptors for the first time in combat and had aircraft tasked with countering Syrian air defences in case they would interfere.
During the course of several weeks many countries outside Southwest Asia promised military contributions to the air strikes and air support missions against ISIS. We at Airheadsfly.com tried to make an as complete as possible overview of the air assets deployed, based mainly on official sources. We’ll update the overview frequently.
© 2014 Airheadsfly.com editor Marcel Burger
US Air Force (USAF)
Since 2014.08.08. Dozens of aircraft, including:
Rockwell B-1B Lancers, bomb / strike
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors, bomb/strike
Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles, attack/CAS
Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcons, attack/CAS
Lockheed Martin F-16CJ Fighting Falcons, anti-radar & anti-SAM
Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, in-flight refuelling
McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extenders, in-flight refuelling
General Atomics MQ-1 Predators, attack / recon drone
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, attack / recon drone
Operating from several bases in the region, as well as the mainland USA. US name the anti-ISIS actions Operation Inherent Resolve.
US Navy (USN)
Since 2014.08.08. 66 to 70 aircraft:
10 to 12 Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornets, strike / attack (part of CVW-8; confirmed involvement)
10 to 12 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets, strike / attack (part of CVW-8; confirmed involvement)
20 to 24 Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornets, strike / attack (part of CVW-8)
4 or 5 Grumman EA-6B Prowlers, anti-radar & anti-SAM (part of CVW-8; confirmed involvement)
3 or 4 Grumman E-2C Hakweye, AWACS (part of CVW-8)
10 Sikorsky MH-60S Seahawk, CSAR / transport (part of CVW-8, some placed on other ships)
10 to 11 Sikorsky SH-60B/MH-60R Seahawk, support (part of CVW-8, some placed on other ships)
2 Grumman C-2A Greyhound, transport (part of CVW-8)
Operating with Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8) from the aircraft carrier CVN 77 USS George H.W. Bush (and escort ships) in the northern Arabian Gulf. Mid-October the carrier is planned to be relieved by the CVN 70 USS Carl Vinson and that carrier’s Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17) with 67 aircraft. US name the anti-ISIS actions Operation Inherent Resolve.
US Marines (USMC)
Since 2014.09.28. Although the involvement of the US Marine Corps in the bombing campaign is very small (unknown at this point), the Marines do fight ISIS targets on the ground and support the operations of the other branches of the US military with shipborne aircraft of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in the Arabian Gulf (aka Persian Gulf).
6 McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) AV-8B Harriers, attack / CAS
4 or more Bell AH-1Z Super Cobras, attack / CAS
3 or more Bell UH-1Y Hueys, attack / CAS / utility / medevac
8 to 10 Bell Boeing MV-22B Ospreys, tilt-rotor assault / transport
3 or 4 Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallions, transport / assault
Operating from the amphibious assault ship LHD 8 USS Makin Island and the amphibious transport dock ship LPD 22 USS San Diego. The dock landing ship LSD 45 USS Comstock sails along with them in the Arabian Gulf (aka Persian Gulf). US name the anti-ISIS actions Operation Inherent Resolve.
Armée de l’Air (AdlA) & Aéronautique Navale
9 Dassault Rafales, reconnaissance / attack / CAS
1 Boeing C135FR, in-flight refuelling
1 Breguet Atlantique 2, reconnaissance / bomb damage assessment
Operating from the United Arab Emirates, Al Dhafra Airbase, since 2014.09.17. French name is Operation Chammal.
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
6 to 8 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets, strike / attack
1 Boeing E-7A Wedgetail, AWACS
1 Airbus KC-30A, in-flight refuelling
1 Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, transport of supplies and ammunition to Kurdish forces. Flew at least once between Tirana (Albania) and Erbil (Northern Iraq) in September 2014, before returning to the RAAF Forward Operation Location at Al Minhad Airbase in the UAE
Operating from the United Arab Emirates, Al Minhad Airbase, since 2014.10.01
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)
6 McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) CF-188 Hornets, strike / attack
1 Airbus CC-150 Polaris, in-flight refuelling
2 Lockheed CP-140 Aurora, reconnaissance / bomb damage assessment
Commencing operations in 3rd or 4th week of October 2014. Operating from a base in Kuwait, possible Ahmed Al Jaber Airbase where the Danish F-16s also fly from (see below). Canadians name the anti-ISIS actions Operation Impact.
Flyvevåbnet (Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF))
7 General Dynamics (Lockheed Martin) F-16AMs from Skrydstrup AB. Since 2014.10.05, but grounded until 16 October due to diplomatic clearance blunder
1 Lockheed C-130H Hercules, transport of supplies and ammunition to Kurdish forces. Was based at RAF Base Akrotiri on Cyprus from 28 October to Mid-September.
The F-16s are operating from Ahmed Al Jaber Airbase in Kuwait since 2014.10.04.
Royal Air Force (RAF)
8 Panavia Tornados; operating from RAF Base Akrotiri on Cyprus, since 2014.09.27.
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper; relocation to Iraq announced 2014.10.16. Arrival date or base not known yet.
British name the anti-ISIS actions Operation Shader.
Other air forces (in order of appearance during the campaign)
Iraqi Air Force; 3 Cessna AC-208Bs (armed scout) and 3 Cessna RC-208B (reconnaissance) from Kirkuk Airbase or another location
Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF); at least 4 Panavia Tornado IDS and/or Boeing F-15S Strike Eagles; during start bombing campaign on targets in Syria
United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF); at least 4 Lockheed Martin F-16s and/or Dassault Mirage 2000s; during start of bombing campaign on targets in Syria
Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF); at least 3 Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds; during start of bombing campaign on targets in Syria
Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF); at least 3 General Dynamics (Lockheed Martin) F-16AMs; operating from As Shaheed Muwaffaq al Salti Airbase in Al Azraq; during start of bombing campaign on targets in Syria
Belgian Air Component (BAC); 6 General Dynamics (Lockheed Martin) F-16AMs from Florennes AB; operating from Jordan, likely As Shaheed Muwaffaq al Salti Airbase in Al Azraq; since 2014.10.01
Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF / KLu); 8 General Dynamics (Lockheed Martin) F-16AMs (4 from Volkel AB, 4 from Leeuwarden AB); operating from Jordan, likely As Shaheed Muwaffaq al Salti Airbase in Al Azraq, since 2014.10.03
© 2014 Airheadsfly.com editor Marcel Burger and Elmer van Hest