SAS troops, Hornets in frame for Iraq mission (Australia)

THE Abbott government is considering deploying SAS soldiers, F18 Super Hornet jet fighters and sophisticated airborne early- warning and control aircraft as part of a military contribution to US-led efforts in Iraq.

In 2003... Australian SAS forces were among the first allied troops to go into Iraq. They were tasked with the role of suppressing Scud missile fire from Iraq into Israel. They did not discover any Scud missiles but captured the Al Asad air base in western Iraq and a trove of Soviet MiG aircraft. They also disrupted Saddam Hussein’s control and command apparatus.

The SAS is regarded as among the elite of special forces in the world and is always kept fully equipped and at a high state of readiness. They have performed extensive missions in Afghanistan...

...The Super Hornets could undertake ground attack roles or they could escort other allied planes.

The AWACs are flying super-computer and radar systems which can integrate a vast amount of information in real time.

Their primary task is the precise co-ordination of allied aircraft and providing minute targeting information so that strikes are as well targeted as possible. They could operate seamlessly with American planes.

Military planners believe there will certainly be a special forces contingent at the ready to rescue any allied pilot or aircrew who may be forced down over hostile territory.

The foreign SAS (the Audience and New Zealand SAS) are every bit as good as their British brothers. Even the former Rhodesian SAS was very good to the point of being considered the best counter - insurgency group in the world at the time. Once Mugabe took over, and Rhodes is became Zimbabwe, many went to South Africa or joined mercenary groups.

Anyways, selection for SAS is still one of the most difficult, and if the SAS - any of the SAS groups - is going after ISIS then that is good news.

As an aside, I always feel bad for the SBS. Tougher selection than the SAS (to be in the SBS you have to finish SAS selection, then continue with some water based selection), but considerably less 'fame' than the SAS. To make matters worse, a good number of missions said to be SAS are actually SBS. For example the joint Delta Force/SAS mission to capture Bin Laden at ToraBora was actually a Delta/SBS mission. I've even seen work done by the SBS mistakenly credited to the SAS' boat troop!!!!

The Shaky Boats never get the credit they deserve. Ironically, in the US, it seems to be the opposite. DEVGRU, aka Seal Team 6 (which is the American version of the SBS) seems to get credit that should have been equally shared with Delta (the American version of the SAS).

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