Britain mobilizes against ISIS in Syria and the Royal Air Force sends Eurofighters to the front line.
From Lossiemouth Air Base, Scotland, 6 Typhoon (photo on the left) and 2 Tornado (picture below) landed at dawn yesterday in Akrotiri, Cyprus, to reinforce the air force taking part in the Operation shader, the British commitment within the international coalition against the self-styled Islamic State.
In the same hours they returned to base i Tornado which led to the first attack in Syria. Last night, around 3:00 GMT, four Panavia Tornado GR4 Armed with 500lb Paveway bombs, they took off from the Akrotiri base to carry out the first raid on the Syrian territory occupied by the IS. The goal was an oil refinery located near Omar. The British Ministry of Defense has referred to it in subsequent statements as "one of the largest and most important oil fields in the ISIS".
The RAF jets took off just 57 minutes after the House of Commons approved British Prime Minister David Cameron's proposed intervention in Syria. The debate, which lasted more than ten hours, ended with 397 votes in favor and 223 against. According to the information previously disclosed i Tornado employed in the mission could belong to the 31 'or 2' Sqd.
From the Akrotiri Air Base (WSBA), RAF fighters have been operating since May of this year against IS in Iraq. Arm yourself with a laser-guided bomb Paveway IV (up to 5 per device) and missiles Brimstone (SAL, semi-active laser) conduct daily raids on hostile targets identified by international coalition intelligence or air support missions for the Iraqi army and Kurdish peshmerga.
(photo: RAF)
