Two Iraqi Air Force 9th Fighter Squadron F-16s dropped two precision-guided munitions weighing 2,000 pounds each during an Iraqi-led operation to defeat Daesh fuel and vehicle storage facilities and bed-down locations near Tikrit Nov. 24. The Iraqi Air Force led the effort to include the pre-brief, execution and debrief of the mission.
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Following the strike, Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbasi, Salah ad Din operations commander, directed a ground clearance operation to assess the strike and collect available intelligence. The combination of effects delivered by the Iraqi Air Force and Iraqi Security Forces on this target serves as an example of Iraqi-led joint planning and execution of joint fires and maneuver as a product of the ongoing training and advising mission of the Coalition.
“The successful conduct of this mission showed a high degree of proficiency in mission planning and coordination between Coalition and Iraqi Forces, in addition to the excellent capabilities of the Iraqi F-16 pilots in their flawless execution of the strike. This was achieved through good training and participation with Coalition forces on the air tasking order, and the Iraqi Air Force looks forward to a continued, strong relationship with the Coalition in the common objective of defeating Daesh,” said Iraqi Maj. Gen. Falah Hassan Shwayel, Joint Operations Command-Republic of Iraq air cell director.
Coalition Task Force-Air advisors work with the Iraqi Air Enterprise to develop tactical and mission-related capabilities to enhance the partner capacity of the Iraqi Air Force, Iraqi Army Aviation Command, and Iraqi Air Defense Command at the invitation of the Iraqi government. The Coalition and its host nation partners continue to work together toward the lasting defeat of Daesh.
