Australia to deploy aircrafts and personnel to help fight Islamic State

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Defence & Security News - Australia

 
 
Sunday, September 14, 2014 06:37 PM
 
Australia to deploy aircrafts and personnel to help fight Islamic State
Australia will send combat aircraft and 600 military personnel to the United Arab Emirates to help fight the Islamic State (IS) militants, ABC News reports on Sunday citing the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
     
Australia will send combat aircraft and 600 military personnel to the United Arab Emirates to help fight the Islamic State (IS) militants, ABC News reports on Sunday citing the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
RAAF F/A 18 Super Hornet
     
"This is about taking prudent and proportionate action to protect our country and to protect the wider world against an unprecedented terrorist threat," Abbott said, as quoted by the ABC News.

According to the statement, Australia will deploy up to eight Super Hornet combat aircraft, one early warning and control aircraft, one aerial refueling aircraft, 400 personnel to support air deployment and 200 officers to act as "military advisers." A decision on whether the troops will participate in combat actions is yet to be made.

"I stress that this is essentially a humanitarian operation to protect millions of people in Iraq from the murderous rage of the ISIL movement," Abbot said, adding that the Australian action is part of an international coalition that includes "the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Jordan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Australia." He warned that the campaign could last for many months.