Netherlands Air Force F-16s strike IS in Iraq

[Airbornelawyer]

The Royal Netherlands Air Force launched its first airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq this morning. The only English-language news report I can find at this moment is from a Russian state-run agency, to which I won't give link traffic, so here is the announcement from the Netherlands Defense Ministry and my quick and dirty translation:

2 Nederlandse F-16’s hebben vanmorgen voor het eerst wapens gebruikt in Irak tegen de terroristische organisatie ISIS. De jachtvliegers gooiden in totaal 3 bommen op bewapende ISIS-voertuigen die Peshmerga-strijders onder vuur namen in het noorden van het land. Bij de aanval zijn voertuigen vernietigd en mogelijk ook ISIS-strijders omgekomen.

...

"Two Netherlands F-16s have used their weapons for the first name this morning in Iraq against the terrorist organization ISIS. The fighter aircraft dropped in total 3 bombs on armed ISIS vehicles which had taken Peshmerga fighters under fire in the north of the country. In the attack, the vehicles were destroyed and probably also ISIS fighters killed."

• http://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuw...bommen-in-irak

Here is an English-language backgrounder on the Dutch involvement:

• http://www.defensie.nl/english/organ...t-against-isis

Belgium has also deployed six F-16s, which conducted their first air strikes on October 5. Belgian aircraft also conducted a mission today which the Belgian armed forces described as a "kinetic intervention". I have no idea what that is supposed to be, but it sounds like a term the current White House would love.

Australian F/A-18F Super Hornets conducted their first armed missions yesterday, but apparently did not find anything/anyone to bomb.

France has also increased the number of Rafale fighters it has deployed to the region as part of Operation Chammal and conducted additional strike missions. France is also apparently sending the anti-aircraft frigate Jean Bart to the Persian Gulf. Since the Islamic State has no aircraft and the other Persian Gulf states are part of the coalition, the Iranians must be wondering why. It's probably for command and control, but the Jean Bart has been used as a base for SOF.

It is good to see more countries participating, although given the relatively limited number of airstrikes being conducted, I'm not sure of the coalition's air operations deserve to be called an air campaign yet. Also, as is typical with most coalition operations since World War II, the US is still conducting the overwhelming majority of strike missions (about 90%).