Claims that RAAF halted ‘air strikes’ in Syria misleading/wrong

Recent reporting in mainstream media across the globe claiming that “RAAF halts air strikes over Syria after Russia threat” are misleading – in so far as the RAAF has not conducted ‘air strikes’ in Syria since February.

“RAAF halts combat missions over Syria” is a more accurate headline – but not when supported by a photo of an F/A-18.

Throughout 2016, Australian fighter jets conducted a total of 16 sorties over Syria, dropping a total of 22 bombs – compared to 900 sorties and 796 bombs dropped on Iraq.

This year, our fighters dropped 16 bombs during a total of four sorties over Syria – all of them in February – compared to 390 bombs on 372 sorties over Iraq in 2017 (correct up to 1 June).

That said, Australia’s Air Task Group has in fact been active over Syria in recent months, but only with our E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform and our KC-30A in-air-refuelling tanker.

In fact, both aircraft types – but the Wedgetail in particular – have spent more time in Syrian airspace than Iraqi.

RAAF’s E-7A Wedgetail has flow a total of 52 sorties this year, entering Syrian airspace 50 times – and the KC-30A has flown 104 sorties, entering Syrian airspace 58 times (to 1 June).

The KC-30A also set an impressive milestone recently when it flew it 1000th sortie in the Middle East – offloading nearly 80,000,000 pounds (36,000 tonnes) of fuel since operations began in September 2014.

• FUNNY FOOTNOTE: Defence’s stats page for ATG operations in 2016 says the KC-30A offloaded a total of 3,052,201.4 pounds of fuel – despite every month except December being well above 2million.
  • and where did the .4 come from – ‘the smell of an oily rag’ perhaps
    • actually, it’s just a misplaced decimal – but what’s 27million pounds of fuel between friends

 

 

Air Task Group (ATG) – 2017 Statistics

ATG Operations

F/A-18A IRAQ
Month	Sorties	Hours	Munitions
Jan-17	78	604.9	54
Feb-17	64	516.6	55
Mar-17	78	611.1	102
Apr-17	72	551.8	60
May-17	80	666.4	119
Total	372	2950.8	390

 

F/A-18 SYRIA
Month	Sorties	Hours	Munitions
Jan-17	0	0	0
Feb-17	4	24	16
Mar-17	0	0	0
Apr-17	0	0	0
May-17	0	0	0
Total	4	24	16

 

E-7A IRAQ/SYRIA
Month	Sorties	Hours	Entered Syrian Airspace
Jan-17	11	138.3	11
Feb-17	10	128.1	10
Mar-17	11	143.4	11
Apr-17	10	118.8	10
May-17	10	123.7	8
Total	52	652.3	50

 

KC-30A IRAQ/SYRIA
Month	Sorties	Hours	Fuel (lbs)	Entered Syrian airspace
Jan-17	21	171.6	1,808,000	5
Feb-17	25	173.6	1,364,700	9
Mar-17	29	209.2	1,802,620	18
Apr-17	29	201.1	2,198,400	12
May-17	29	226	2,223,750	14
Total	104	755.5	7,173,720	58

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