05-01-2015 – kl. 19:38– De danske F-16-fly, der er udsendt som bidrag til Operation Inherent Resolve, har siden seneste opdatering 11. december fløjet 37 missioner og anvendt 13 bomber.

Missionerne, som de danske fly har deltaget i, har været offensive, og de danske fly har i den forløbne periode deltaget i missioner i områderne omkring Tikrit, Bayji, Mosul samt i Al-Anbar-regionen. Målene for bomberne har været køretøjer, bygninger og fjendtlige styrker.

De danske fly har primært fløjet missioner, der kaldes Airborne Alert Interdiction. Ved denne type missioner patruljerer flyet i luften, samtidig med at piloten får udpeget nogle objekter og steder på jorden, der skal ses nærmere på. Hvis der her lokaliseres og identificeres militære mål, kan flyene på samme måde som under Close Air Support-missioner (CAS) beordres til at angribe disse mål.

Derudover har de danske fly gennemført flere Close Air Support-missioner (CAS), hvor flyene er indsat direkte som luftstøtte til styrker på landjorden. Her vil flyene patruljere over et bestemt område, hvorefter de vil kunne blive indsat af koalitionen, når der er behov for støtte. Luftstøtten vil variere afhængig af hvad der er behov for. Det kan både dreje sig om overvågningsopgaver og bombninger af mål. På nogle af CAS-missionerne har de danske F-16 fly kastet bomber i forbindelse med kamphandlinger på jorden.

På de missioner, hvor de danske F-16 ikke har anvendt våben, har de bidraget med overvågning og indhentning af efterretninger. På sådanne overvågningsmissioner er flyene dog altid klar til at anvende våben, hvis der er behov for det.

Siden første mission den 16. oktober 2014, har det danske bidrag i alt fløjet 130 missioner og anvendt 87 bomber. Alle de danske bomber er præcisionsstyrede, hvilket vil sige at de styres mod deres mål af enten laser eller GPS.

On 4 January, an RAF Reaper, working in support of Iraqi army units, identified an ISIL vehicle and engaged it with a Hellfire missile. Shortly afterwards, the Reaper discovered an ISIL position close by, and attacked this with another Hellfire.
Reaper and Tornado missions were also flown on the morning of 5 January. Tornados again patrolled the Al Qaim area, where they destroyed an ISIL excavator vehicle, used to construct fortified positions, with a Brimstone.

Nederlandse F-16’s vlogen meer dan 20 missies boven Irak. De toestellen gooiden ruim 15 bommen op doelen van terreurorganisatie ISIS. De projectielen troffen gevechtsposities, opslagplaatsen, voertuigen en strijders. Een overzicht van Defensie-operaties in de week van 29 december 2014 tot en met 4 januari 2015.

Militaire trainers vertrokken naar Erbil in Irak. Ze leiden daar, evenals in hoofdstad Bagdad, Iraakse en Koerdische militairen op.

January 5th 2015: U.S. and partner nation military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria, Jan. 4, using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct 14 airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted six airstrikes in Iraq, Jan. 4, using fighter aircraft against ISIL terrorists. All strikes took place between 8 a.m., Jan. 4, and 8 a.m., Jan. 5, local time. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted since the last press release:

Syria

* Near Kobani, eight airstrikes struck two large ISIL units and an ISIL fighting position and destroyed 11 ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Dawr az Zawr, six airstrikes struck five ISIL crude oil collection points and an ISIL crude oil pipeline and destroyed two ISIL armored vehicles and an ISIL shipping container.

Iraq

* Near Mosul, an airstrike struck a large ISIL unit.

* Near Al Qaim, two airstrikes destroyed two ISIL excavators [1 British]

* Near Ramadi, an airstrike struck a large ISIL unit.

* Near Al Asad, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL vehicles.

January 4th 2015: U.S. and partner nation military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria, Jan. 3, using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct six airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted one airstrike in Iraq, Jan. 3, using fighter aircraft against ISIL terrorists. All strikes took place between 8 a.m., Jan. 3, and 8 a.m., Jan. 4, local time. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted since the last press release:

Syria

* Near Kobani, six airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL fighting position and destroyed three ISIL vehicles, four ISIL buildings, three ISIL fighting positions, and two ISIL staging areas.

Iraq

* Near Mosul, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

January 3rd 2015: U.S. and partner nation military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria, Jan 2, using fighter and attack aircraft to conduct 10 airstrikes. Separately, U.S. and partner nation military forces conducted 10 airstrikes in Iraq, Jan. 2, using fighter, attack, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL terrorists. All strikes took place between 8 a.m., Jan. 2, and 8 a.m., Jan. 3, local time. The following is a summary of the strikes conducted since the last press release:

Syria

* Near Kobani, seven airstrikes struck an ISIL fighting position and two ISIL tactical units and destroyed seven ISIL fighting positions.

* Near Ar Raqqah, an airstrike destroyed two ISIL armored vehicles.

* Near Dawr az Zawr, two airstrikes destroyed five ISIL fighting positions.

Iraq

* Near Al Asad, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.

* Near Fallujah, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL anti-aircraft artillery emplacement.

* Near Sinjar, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL building, an ISIL armored vehicle, and two ISIL vehicles.

* Near Al Qaim, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL weapons cache.

* Near Mosul, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL backhoe and two ISIL armored vehicles.

* Near Kirkuk, an airstrike [French] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

* Near Rawah, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL armored vehicle.

* Near Ramadi, an airstrike [British] struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL building.

Later that day [January 2nd], a coalition surveillance aircraft observed ISIL positions concealed within woods north-west of Ramadi and another Tornado mounted an attack with two Paveway IV precision guided bombs.