British F-35B fighters to join fight against Islamic State next month
The planes operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will conduct operational sorties that will assist coalition ground forces
Dan Arkin
| 04/05/2021
The aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth on its way to Scotland over the weekend. Photo: PA Images via REUTERS
British Royal Air Force stealth fighters, operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, will carry out operational sorties against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria starting from next month.
The British Defence Ministry announced that the 617th Squadron, named "The Dambusters", of the Royal Air Force will attack Islamic State targets in the two countries and thus help ground forces operating in the framework of the coalition. The Defence Ministry made clear that Islamic State was defeated about two years ago and lost territory, but there are still areas in Iraq and Syria that it controls, and "The UK remains committed to defeating Daesh and enhancing security in the region, alongside the Iraqi Security Forces and our NATO allies."
The UK Defense Journal website reported that the Carrier Strike Group led by the HMS Queen Elizabeth, from which the stealth fighters operate, is Britain's largest concentration of maritime and air power. The naval force will sail toward the zone of operation against Islamic State next month following naval maneuvers that are taking place these days off the coast of Scotland.
The planes operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will conduct operational sorties that will assist coalition ground forces
The aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth on its way to Scotland over the weekend. Photo: PA Images via REUTERS
British Royal Air Force stealth fighters, operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, will carry out operational sorties against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria starting from next month.
The British Defence Ministry announced that the 617th Squadron, named "The Dambusters", of the Royal Air Force will attack Islamic State targets in the two countries and thus help ground forces operating in the framework of the coalition. The Defence Ministry made clear that Islamic State was defeated about two years ago and lost territory, but there are still areas in Iraq and Syria that it controls, and "The UK remains committed to defeating Daesh and enhancing security in the region, alongside the Iraqi Security Forces and our NATO allies."
The UK Defense Journal website reported that the Carrier Strike Group led by the HMS Queen Elizabeth, from which the stealth fighters operate, is Britain's largest concentration of maritime and air power. The naval force will sail toward the zone of operation against Islamic State next month following naval maneuvers that are taking place these days off the coast of Scotland.
