Australia has no intention of putting combat troops on the ground in Iraq, despite a US military chief flagging a possible future escalation.

The White House has insisted the fight against the Islamic State extremists in Iraq won’t involve US ground troops, only air strikes and military advisers to the Iraqi military and the Kurdish Peshmerga.

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But chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Martin Dempsey, told a hearing in Washington the military advisers could be drawn into combat.

“To be clear, if we reach the point where I believe our advisers should accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against specific ISIL targets, I will recommend that to the president,” Gen Dempsey said.

Mr Abbott, who plans to temporarily suspend a trip to Arnhem Land on Thursday to see off Australian Defence Force personnel heading to the Middle East, said the government had no intention of putting combat troops on the ground.

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Photo: Getty

The only combat operations inside Iraq would be air combat operations, he said.

“But part of our force does include a contingent of (200) special forces and they will be available to act as military advisers to the Iraqi security forces and Peshmega,” Mr Abbott said.

Asked whether the special forces could go to the frontline, Mr Abbott said: “If we have military advisers with the headquarters of Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga they will be moving around with those unit headquarters.”

“Our troops will certainly be armed and if they are fired upon they will be entitled to respond,” he said.

The Australian contingent will include 600 troops and up to eight Super Hornet jets.

Meanwhile, RAAF aircraft have delivered a fourth shipment of arms to Erbil in northern Iraq.

The RAAF C-17A Globemaster flying from Tirana, Albania, completed the delivery to Erbil on Tuesday without incident, a Defence spokesman said.