British military aircraft spent a combined 16,255 flying hours against Daesh in Iraq and Syria over the last year.
James Wild, the Conservative MP North West Norfolk, asked via a Parliamentary Written Question:
“To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) flying hours and (b) air strikes have been conducted by UK armed forces against Daesh in (a) Iraq and (b) Syria in each of the last 12 months.”
James Heappey, Minister of State (Ministry of Defence), Minister for the Armed Forces, responded:
“There have been three air strikes conducted by UK Armed Forces against Daesh in Iraq and Syria in the last 12 months (two in Iraq and one in Syria). The combined flying hours of Reaper, Typhoon and Voyager during from November 2022 – November 2023 were 16,255 (Reaper: 6,940; Typhoon: 6,314; and Voyager: 2,999). As the data concerns operational activity, figures may be updated in the future.”
He also added:
“The UK remains committed to the Global Coalition Against Daesh and is the second largest contributor to Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.
As part of this military contribution, the UK provides support and funding for a range of initiatives across the region, including providing training, mentoring and professional military education to the Iraqi Security Forces. The UK has trained over 111,000 members of Iraqi Security forces, including over 21,000 of the Kurdish Peshmerga.
The UK also leads the Coalition’s counter-Daesh communications activity, working with Government and civil society partners.”
Operation Shader is the operational code name given to the contribution of the United Kingdom in the ongoing military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The number of airstrikes carried out in Iraq and Syria has been second only to the United States, with a report that the Royal Air Force has conducted 20 per cent of all airstrike. The operation was the most intense flying mission the RAF has undertaken in 25 years.
With the defeat of the majority of Islamic State’s combat capability, the mission is now smaller than it was before and as such, so are the hours in the air.
Looking at the above picture. What’s the Bobby regards returning aircraft and UAVs and ordnance under their wings?
I’m probably guessing but It’s not that big an Issue when returning to land bases. Wouldn’t think it would be a big problem if landing on a Carrier in good conditions….. just my thoughts though.
They park facing a direction that is classed as a safe zone. Such as facing away from building’s and people .
‘Bobby?’ That’s a new one on me, Farouk!
Its a Cant aka Rhyming Slang, I picked it up at my first posting “Chatham” where I learnt to drive via a bloke off of MT called Bill Putney on a morning we would drive up to his mums in Putney and after getting fed drive back in the afternoon . Proper cockney Rhyming slang leaves out the second part so for example instead of saying Butchers hook (Look) we say having a butchers, We see similar with Scooby Do (Clue) where we just say haven’t a Scooby So with Bobby I was actually referring to Bobby Moore (Score) I… Read more »
You hear just as many Asian, Caribbean and African accents and slang in the Army these days. And the Chatham accent is different to London Cockney, which is actually dying out. Whitechapel and East London now have an Asian population
Thanks, F. I guessed it would be something along those lines. I suppose, in the RAF, we would say ‘what’s the gen?’. To be honest, the RAF didn’t have as many Cants as the Navy, or Army. E.g, a ‘shiny’ was someone with an office job, sitting down all day i.e. ‘Shiny arse’. There were numerous others but I’m too old now to remember them!
Take care and have a great Christmas.
That’s a lot of hours! Good job Brits.!
Lots of hours for 3 air strikes. Must be doing a lot of other information grabbing.