Anti-IS mission puts hardened French pilot on new flight path

AFP ^ | 02/25/2015 | Valérie Leroux

[sukhoi-30mki]

After flying missions over Afghanistan and Libya, French Rafale fighter pilot "Sharpy" now faces fresh challenges on his new assignment against the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq.

"We are well-trained, we know all the procedures but you still need to get used to the territory," he said after landing his fighter on the carrier Charles de Gaulle following a nighttime sortie.

French warplanes have formed part of the US-led coalition carrying out raids against IS jihadists in Iraq for several months.

As in Afghanistan, the enemy is extremely mobile and often elusive.

IS fighters embed in towns among the general population, complicating air strikes and attempts by Iraqi forces to retake territory seized by the extremists.

But unlike in previous conflicts, where air power supported an extensive troop presence, "we have very few people on the ground" in Iraq, Sharpy said.

"The planes have a role to play in identifying how the enemy moves, changes position. It's really another way of waging war."

After takeoff from the Charles de Gaulle, stationed in the Gulf, the Rafale and Super Entendard attack planes fly northwest, conducting sorties over jihadist strongholds, including Tikrit and Mosul.

After refuelling from coalition supply planes, the jets spend several hours in and around their operation zone where they mainly conduct aerial reconnaissance.

The planes photograph potential future coalition targets and assist Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga forces below with real-time intelligence on IS positions.

"With our means of reconnaissance, including models of infrared video cameras, we can see personnel and vehicle movements and give (allies) a better idea of what is happening on the ground," Sharpy said.

[sukhoi-30mki]

A French Navy Rafale fighter jet lands on the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle operating in the Gulf on February 25, 2015

[Jack Hydrazine]

The covert origins of IS/ISIS/ISIL (aka Al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMjXbuj7BPI

And who started Al Qaeda? Our own CIA to counter the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviets in 1979.

And why does Obama insist on calling IS/ISIS ISIL? Because ISIS plans on taking the whole Levant. The Levant covers the region from Turkey to Egypt and includes Syria, western Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and most importantly...Israel.

This conflict is going to suck a lot of nations into this fight according to David Icke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK5ZAapfylQ

[Jack Hydrazine]

Tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1939!