Air strikes in Syria and the RAF’s Quick Reaction Alert response are the main items of interest in Defence news this morning.
Syria air strikes
The Times and The Independent write that British air strikes in Syria have hit seven Daesh fighters, according to estimates released in an FOI by the Ministry of Defence. The articles say that none of those casualties were caused by Brimstone missiles and suggest that these weapons helped make the case to Parliament for Britain’s entry into the Syria conflict.
An MOD Spokesperson said:
We are playing a crucial role in a campaign that will take time and patience. Using the right weapon for each scenario, RAF jets have struck Daesh almost 600 times. In Iraq we have helped to drive them out of Sinjar and Ramadi. In Syria, we have severely weakened them by targeting their key infrastructure.
- The UK is part of a coalition. The specifics of where strikes occur are decided to ensure maximum coalition effectiveness.
- Defeating Daesh is not a military task alone – there must be a comprehensive solution to reduce its space to operate, including through the development of effective and inclusive politics in those countries where it has taken root.
- Since December 2015 UK military air activity has contributed to the Coalition’s aim of disrupting and degrading Daesh military infrastructure, logistics and revenue streams inside Syria.
- This includes targeting oil infrastructure and enabling equipment under Daesh control, helping to reduce their ability to profit from selling oil to fund their activities. We have also targeted Daesh’s military equipment and infrastructure, including vehicles, defensive fighting positions firing on friendly forces, a tunnel complex, weapons stores and a command and control centre.
- By targeting Daesh infrastructure, such as the Omar oil field, we are reducing their ability to raise finance to fund their campaign of terror. And when they try to repair the damage, we have been targeting the construction vehicles and cranes they are using to fix the wellheads and pipelines.
- Their oil revenue has been reduced by around 30%. Their entire income has been lessened by around 10%.
Quick Reaction Alert
The Sun Daily Mirror, and Daily Mail continue to cover Wednesday’s Quick Reaction Alert when Royal Air Force Typhoons intercepted two Russian Blackjack bombers as they flew in an area of interest close to UK airspace.
A RAF spokesperson said:
We can confirm that quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby have intercepted two Russian Blackjack bombers and escorted them while they were in the UK area of interest. At no point did the Russian aircraft enter UK territorial airspace.
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