Guidance

RAF air strikes in Iraq and Syria: December 2015

Updated 31 July 2024

2 December

Following the vote in the House of Commons last night, Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 aircraft flew their first offensive operation against Daesh terrorist targets inside Syria. The mainstay of Daesh’s financial income is derived from exploitation of a number of oilfields that they hold. These are overwhelmingly located in Daesh’s heartlands in eastern Syria. Several of these oilfields have already been effectively targeted by other coalition partners; RAF aircraft and precision weaponry are well suited to attacking, with low collateral risk, this type of target. Overnight, RAF Tornado GR4s, supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker and a Reaper, and operating in conjunction with other coalition aircraft, employed Paveway IV guided bombs to conduct strikes against 6 targets within the extensive oilfield at Omar, 35 miles inside Syria’s eastern border with Iraq. The Omar oilfield is one of the largest and most important to Daesh’s financial operations, and represents over 10% of their potential income from oil. Carefully selected elements of the oilfield infrastructure were targeted, ensuring the strikes will have a significant impact on Daesh’s ability to extract the oil to fund their terrorism.

Coalition air operations have already degraded Daesh’s front line military capabilities and have assisted the Iraqi ground forces in liberating some 30% of the territory that the terrorists initially seized in that country during the summer of 2014. By extending RAF offensive operations into Syria, our aircraft are now able to help dismantle the means by which Daesh plan, direct and sustain their campaign of terror.

Before our aircrew conducted their attacks, as is normal they used the aircraft’s advanced sensors to confirm that no civilians were in the proximity of the targets, who might be placed at risk. Our initial analysis of the operation indicates that the strikes were successful.

3/4 December

Tornado GR4s from RAF Akrotiri conducted missions over Syria and Iraq. Two GR4s flew an armed reconnaissance patrol over eastern Syria, gathering intelligence on terrorist activity. A second pair of GR4s patrolled over western Iraq, where they provided close air support to Iraqi forces engaged in combat with Daesh in and around Ramadi. A terrorist sniper team opened fire from a compound on Iraqi troops, but was silenced by a direct hit from a Paveway IV guided bomb.

The RAF Tornado and Reaper aircraft that have been conducting air strikes against Daesh have now been reinforced by a detachment of Typhoon fighters, which carry the same Paveway IV precision guided bombs as the Tornados. The deployment of the Typhoons plus an extra 2 Tornados offers a significant increase in strike capacity to both the RAF component and the wider coalition air campaign.

4 December

Tornado GR4s and Typhoon FGR4s, based at RAF Akrotiri, conducted a further series of strikes on targets in the very large Daesh-controlled oilfield at Omar in eastern Syria. As with the attacks on 3 December which immediately followed the Parliamentary decision to extend offensive air operations to Syrian airspace, the Tornados and Typhoons used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit wellheads, thus cutting off the terrorists’ oil revenue at the very source. Eight attacks were carried out, and early reports suggest that they were successful. Our aircraft then remained on patrol to collect intelligence on possible terrorist positions and be ready to strike any further targets that might be identified in eastern Syria or western Iraq.

The Typhoons and the Tornados received vital support from an RAF Voyager air refuelling tanker during their missions. At the same time, an RAF Reaper provided close air support to Kurdish security forces in northwest Iraq as they continue to drive back Daesh after defeating the terrorists at Sinjar. A Daesh truck bomb was identified south of Sinjar, and the Reaper’s crew were able to destroy it by means of a direct hit from a Hellfire missile.

6 December

RAF Tornado GR4s carried out a further UK mission against additional wellheads in the extensive and sprawling Omar oil field. They joined other coalition aircraft in a carefully coordinated strike against the oil infrastructure upon which Daesh relies for much of their revenue to fund their barbaric activities. The GR4s conducted successful attacks using Paveway IV guided bombs. The Tornados then joined Typhoon FGR4s, also flying from RAF Akrotiri, in conducting armed reconnaissance to investigate possible further terrorist targets.

7 December

A pair of Tornado GR4s provided close air support to offensive operations by Iraqi forces in western Ramadi. A Daesh mortar position was identified and successfully engaged with a Brimstone missile. Over northern Iraq, a Reaper was meanwhile supporting Kurdish troops, and it used a Hellfire missile to destroy a terrorist vehicle.

8 December

West of Qayyara, Tornados conducted 2 Brimstone attacks on Daesh terrorists. That evening, a further pair of Tornados assisted Iraqi soldiers north east of Bayji; the GR4s used Paveway IVs to destroy three Daesh positions which were directing heavy machine gun and mortar fire at the Iraqis.

9 December

A pair of Tornados provided close air support to Kurdish soldiers fighting Daesh in northern Iraq, and used a Paveway IV guided bomb to destroy a terrorist position, including a mortar team, centred on a building near Kisik. A Reaper maintained overwatch for the Kurds into the night, and having assisted other coalition aircraft in a successful strike on a heavy machine gun position, its crew conducted successful Hellfire missile attacks of their own against three Daesh vehicles south of Sinjar, despite the trucks being parked under cover.

10 December

Two Typhoons, working in close cooperation with another coalition aircraft, carried out Paveway IV bomb attacks on a terrorist held building and a bunker in northern Iraq. A Tornado patrol was meanwhile operating in conjunction with a Reaper south west of Sinjar; the Tornados destroyed another Daesh building and a mortar position with Paveways, whilst the Reaper followed up with a successful Hellfire attack on a terrorist location. The Reaper stayed on patrol to support the Kurdish forces, and when they came under fire from a sniper, eliminated the threat with a direct hit from a GBU-12 guided bomb. Before returning to base, the Reaper destroyed a Daesh vehicle with a Hellfire.

11 December

While RAF Tornado, Typhoon and Reaper patrols have covered large swathes of Daesh held territory in both Iraq and Syria, a particular focus for their recent air strikes has been in northern Iraq, where the Kurdish security forces continue to consolidate their significant victory over the terrorists at Sinjar in November. Two Typhoon FGR4s from RAF Akrotiri provided close air support to Kurdish peshmerga operating near Mosul. Our aircraft used a Paveway IV guided bomb to destroy a heavy machine gun position that was firing on the peshmerga, then employed 2 more Paveway IVs against a group of Daesh extremists as they attacked the Kurdish troops.

Further west, south of Sinjar, a Reaper similarly supported Kurdish forces, and its crew conducted a successful attack with a GBU-12 guided bomb on a sniper team which had opened fire from a building. A large secondary explosion resulted from the strike, which indicates that the building probably also contained a large stockpile of ammunition or explosives. The Reaper subsequently delivered a second successful attack, striking a group of terrorists with a Hellfire missile as they set up rocket launchers. That night, Typhoons returned to patrol over the Mosul region, and attacked a Daesh mortar position with a Paveway IV.

13 December

Operations in and around both Mosul and Sinjar continued. Typhoons employed a Paveway IV in a successful attack on 10 terrorists as they manned a rocket launcher position, whilst Tornado GR4s used Paveways to strike both a mortar firing point and another rocket launcher team.

14 December

A Paveway IV attack by Typhoons destroyed a sniper position near Sinjar, while nearby, Tornados silenced a pair of heavy machine guns that were firing on the Kurdish forces, the Kurds reporting that both weapons hit their targets with great accuracy despite difficult weather conditions.

15 December

Two Tornado GR4s patrolled over eastern Syria and northern Iraq and conducted a successful attack with a Paveway IV laser and GPS guided bomb to destroy a terrorist mortar position near Sinjar. Further south, 2 Typhoon FGR4s supported the Iraqi army in its operations around Ramadi, and struck a Daesh encampment with 2 Paveway IVs. A second pair of Tornados flew another mission over northern Iraq and destroyed an enemy mortar with a Paveway.

16 December

RAF Tornados assisted the Iraqi troops battling Daesh on the outskirts of Ramadi, and used Paveway IVs to destroy heavy machine gun positions, a sniper team and a group of terrorist fighters. In northern Iraq, all three RAF aircraft deployed to fight Daesh, Tornados, Typhoons and Reaper, were in action, providing close air support to the Kurdish peshmerga. Our aircraft delivered numerous precision attacks on terrorist targets, to the north and west of Mosul using a mixture of Brimstone, Hellfire, Paveway IV and GBU-12 missiles and bombs. In total, these RAF strikes successfully destroyed 4 heavy machine gun positions, 2 terrorist teams armed with rockets, three Daesh vehicles, one of which was a large truck bomb, and 6 groups of terrorists. Additionally, the 2 Reapers were able to use their advanced reconnaissance sensors to assist twelve successful attacks by other coalition aircraft. Typhoons also conducted tactical reconnaissance and another Tornado mission returned to Ramadi, where they destroyed a heavy machine gun position and 2 terrorist held buildings.

17 December

A Tornado patrol south of Sinjar was able to destroy 3 vehicles with Brimstone missiles and in western Iraq, Typhoons working closely with an Iraqi unit dropped a pair of Paveway Ivs on a string of improvised explosive devices blocking the road. Another Tornado mission in northern Iraq attacked a large group of terrorists preparing to attack a Kurdish position.

18 December

Typhoons and Tornados operated over the Sinjar and Mosul areas, suppressing Daesh mortar positions with 2 Paveway attacks, while over Ramadi, Tornado GR4s supported the Iraqi forces again and struck 3 terrorist positions with Paveway IVs.

20 December

Two Tornado GR4s patrolled over northern Iraq and conducted a successful attack with a Paveway IV guided bomb on a large group of Daesh terrorists, loading supplies into a truck. A second pair of GR4s flew a reconnaissance mission over Ramadi, where they provided surveillance assistance to an attack by other coalition aircraft. The GR4s were then diverted north to the area around Bayji, where Iraqi ground forces were in close combat with Daesh extremists. Despite the close proximity of the Iraqi troops, the Tornados were able to conduct 2 sucessful precision attacks with Paveway IVs on the terrorists, who had been directing rocket and small arms fire at the Iraqis.

21 December

Typhoon FGR4s and an RAF Reaper operated around the Mosul area. The Typhoons used a Paveway IV bomb to destroy a Daesh vehicle, while the Reaper provided targeting support to a coalition air strike that destroyed a terrorist mortar position before delivering 2 attacks with its own Hellfire missiles which destroyed a supply vehicle and a Daesh held building.

22 December

With Iraqi troops conducting ground assaults on Daesh positions in Ramadi, 2 pairs of RAF Tornados and a Reaper, provided the Iraqis with continuous close air support alongside other coalition aircraft. When the Daesh fighters fired rocket propelled grenades and small arms at Iraqi soldiers tending to wounded personnel, the Tornados intervened with a very accurate Paveway strike. The Reaper, meanwhile, assisted other coalition aircraft in an attack that destroyed an anti aircraft gun. A third pair of Tornados were over northern Iraq, supporting the Kurdish peshmerga, and conducted 2 successful Paveway IV attacks that destroyed a Daesh held building and an observation post.

23 December

A Typhoon patrol to the east of Mosul conducted a total of 6 successful attacks with 8 Paveway IV precision guided bombs, which destroyed 4 terrorist held buildings and a tunnel, including ammunitions stores, several heavy machine guns, and a sniper position. Further south, 2 flights of Tornado GR4s were contributing to the coalition air effort which supported the Iraqi army’s offensive into the centre of Ramadi. The Tornados conducted 6 attacks, again with Paveway IVs, and although on every occasion Iraqi forces were in very close proximity to the terrorist targets, careful planning and the accuracy of the weapons allowed all 6 attacks to be a success. The Tornados’ targets included three terrorist teams armed with rocket propelled grenades, a sniper position, a Daesh group in close combat with Iraqi troops, and a large group of at least 17 terrorists, who suffered a direct hit. That night, a further pair of Tornados patrolled over Mosul, and destroyed 2 Daesh held buildings with Paveways.

24 December

Typhoons operated near Mosul, where they destroyed another Daesh building with a Paveway, whilst over Ramadi, 2 pairs of Tornados again provided close air support to the Iraqi troops. The GR4s worked closely with other coalition aircraft to deliver 2 successful Paveway attacks on groups of terrorist fighters.

25 December

Tornados maintained close air support over Ramadi. Once again working closely with other coalition aircraft, they used Paveway IVs against 2 terrorist teams, an anti-aircraft gun, and a massed Daesh group who were assembling for an attempted counter attack on the successful Iraqi advance. Meanwhile, over Syria, an RAF Reaper struck a Daesh checkpoint south of Raqqa with a Hellfire missile.

26 December

A Reaper patrolled over northern Iraq, where it destroyed a terrorist vehicle with a Hellfire, then supported a coalition air strike on a Daesh tunnel entrance.

27 December

RAF operations focused largely on northern Iraq, with Typhoons using Paveway bombs to engage an armoured vehicle and mortar teams in the area of Tal Afar and Kisik. South west of Mosul, a Tornado flight destroyed 2 terrorist occupied buildings with Paveway IVs, then attacked a group of extremists in the open. A second Typhoon patrol over the northern region assisted Kurdish peshmerga in close combat with Daesh, striking 2 terrorist groups with Paveway IVs.

28 December

A Typhoon FGR4 flight conducted a simultaneous attack with Paveway IV bombs on 2 buildings north east of Mosul, occupied by a group of terrorist fighters. Both buildings were demolished, along with the terrorists’ vehicle. The Typhoons then used Paveways to destroy 2 mechanical excavators being used by Daesh to construct defensive positions.

A second Typhoon mission was later flown over northern Iraq, and it delivered a successful Paveway IV strike on a team of terrorists who were preparing to fire rockets at Kurdish positions.

29 December

Typhoons and Tornado GR4s operated over Ramadi, as the Iraqi forces closed in on remaining pockets of Daesh extremists. The Typhoons bombed 2 machine gun positions, while the Tornados conducted 3 attacks on a further 2 machine gun nests and a strongpoint. Despite bad weather meaning that these attacks had to be carried out through thick cloud and with Iraqi soldiers in close proximity to the targets, careful planning by the aircrew and the precision guidance systems of the Paveway IV bombs allowed all the attacks to be successful without risk to friendly forces. Later on Tuesday evening, a Typhoon flying near Mosul was directed against a tunnel, where a large group of terrorists had been spotted massing inside. A direct hit was scored with a Paveway on the tunnel.

30 December

Two Tornado GR4s provided close air support over Ramadi, where they bombed machine gun positions engaged in close combat with Iraqi troops, and assisted another coalition aircraft in a strike on a Daesh team armed with rocket propelled grenades. Near Sinjar, Typhoons assisted the peshmerga with an attack on a terrorist rocket launcher team. Typhoons and Tornados continued to patrol the Sinjar area on the last day of the year, using Paveways against a heavy machine gun position and a Daesh group firing on Kurdish troops.