Britain’s Operation Shader

British pilots embedded with U.S.-led coalition forces have conducted airstrikes on Islamic State fighters in Syria. The House of Commons voted against such action in 2013

Tornado GR4
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IS control and support zones as of July 8

Kurdish control

U.S. training camps

TURKEY 

RAF Akrotiri

CYPRUS

LEBANON

ISRAEL

JORDAN

SAUDI ARABIA

SYRIA Aleppo Kobane Hasakah Mosul Irbil Raqqa Palmyra Damascus Deir
al-Zawr Qaim Sinjar Baiji Tikrit Kirkuk 

IRAQ Ramadi Al Asad

Baghdad

IRAN

Mediterranean Sea

100km 160 miles
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Operation Shader: Run from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar

RAF Akrotiri: Eight Tornado GR4s are conducting reconnaissance and bombing missions against IS in Iraq.  Armed with Paveway bombs and Brimstone missiles they have launched more than 300 airstrikes since September 2014

Other assets: 10 Reaper drones, two Sentinel surveillance aircraft, two Sentry E-3D surveillance aircraft, one Airseeker (Rivet Joint) that can intercept mobile phone and text messages, one air-to-air refuelling aircraft, one turboprop Shadow plane equipped with listening devices

1 Paveway IV: Enhanced laser guided bomb with GPS capability

2 Brimstone: Fire-and-forget supersonic anti-armour missile
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Sources: IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, Forces TV

Picture: Associated Press

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